Coconut Curry with Collard Greens and Black Eyed Peas

Readers, this is a home run recipe. It's laughably easy, hilariously cheap and it takes just half an hour to make.

And ohhhh it's good. A unique and truly unusual mix of spices, flavors and textures. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we did.

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Coconut Curry with Collard Greens and Black Eyed Peas
(Adapted/modified from Rancid Raves)

Ingredients:
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
4-5 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 medium bunch of collard greens, de-stemmed and coarsely chopped (maybe 8-10 leaves)
1 can (14-16 ounces) coconut milk
1/4 cup water

Spice Mixture:
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons cumin

Directions:
1) Saute the onion in oil on medium high heat for 4-5 minutes, until softened and beginning to brown. Add the garlic and ground ginger, saute for another 1-2 minutes.

2) Add the spice mixture, combine well, and saute for another 1-2 minutes. Add the collard greens, tomatoes and black-eyed peas and combine everything well.

3) Add the coconut milk and water, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes, or until collards are cooked to your liking. Serve over white or brown rice.

Serves 5-6 generously.
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Recipe notes:
1) Feel free to be flexible with your choice of leafy greens in this recipe: Swiss chard could be a great substitution. Spinach or even something unusual like beet greens could work too. Note: you'll want to wait until the dish is almost ready before adding very tender greens. Spinach, for example, should be added to the dish for only the last few minutes of simmer time. Those spinach leaves should be wilted, not liquified.

2) If you follow this recipe as written, this dish will come out fairly spicy. For a milder version, try cutting the cayenne pepper in half.

3) Oh, and a momentous event occurred the first time I made this recipe. I finished off a cannister of turmeric that my mother gave me back in 1991, when I first moved out on my own. This little spice container had a date on it: 1974. And people say you have to throw out your spices after six months.

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