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Wednesday, December 07, 2005 

African potato stew - Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups chopped onions
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon ground coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cauliflower head, cut into bite-size florets
1 sweet potato, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 cups thinly-sliced collard greens
1/4 cup raisins
1 tablespoon apple cider
vinegar
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

METHOD
1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onions and garlic, cooking them for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened.
2. Add ginger, poppy seeds, mustard seeds, coriander, and cloves and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.
3. Add potatoes to the mixture an stir to combine. Stir in 4 cups of water and turn heat up to high. Once mixture comes to a boil, add the teaspoon of salt and stir well. Turn heat to low and simmer stew, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add cauliflower, sweet potato, collard greens, and raisins, stirring to combine. Continue cooking for 10 minutes until potatoes are tender.
5. Season stew with vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. If the stew is too dry, add a little water. Serve hot.

Simple Solutions: You can serve this comforting one-pot meal by itself or on top of rice, couscous, or quinoa.

Recipe inspired by Vegetarian Planet, by Didi Emmons (Harvard Common Press, 1997).