Kale is the new leafy green around the grocery block. It is healthy, it is super nutritious, and it should be on your plate (or glass) more often.
Apart from salads, there are yummy, crispy and scrumptious kale recipes. The health enthusiasts are rooting for this lovely member of the cruciferous family, and you will too. Just get onboard the no extra calorie regime! Begin here by knowing all about kale - the health benefits and the diverse ways you can cook it.
After that infographic dose of kale, let’s hop right into the action and cook some savoury kale recipes. A knowledge of these handy cooking techniques will come in handy when you begin.
Quick and Easy to Make Kale Recipes
1. Healthy Crispy Kale
Kale is a wonderful alternative to those high fat and high calories snacks. Prepare these kale crisps to stay right on track with your diet and fitness whenever those oddly timed cravings hit hard.
Ingredients
- Curly kale - 200g
- Olive oil
- Cumin ½ tsp
- Paprika
- Oregano mix
- Sea salt
Prep the kale:
Wash the kale. Separate the kale leaves from their woody stalk. Discard the stalk and cut the leaves. Make sure to dry them completely before baking.
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Method:
- For curly kale crisps, heat the oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas.
- Put the kale leaves in a large mixing bowl.
- Pour 1 tsp oil into it and mix thoroughly.
- On a baking paper, spread a layer of kale.
- Bake for 25-30 mins.
- When fully baked, sprinkle a mix of paprika, oregano mix, cumin and sea salt.
2. Garlic Sesame Kale Saute
Since kale is a salad staple, here is an easy to make, ready within 5 minutes and delicious kale saute.
Ingredients:
- Wok or Pan
- Curly kale
- Olive oil ½ tsp
- Sesame seeds
- Salt
Prep the kale:
Wash the kale. Strip the leaves by separating them from the stem. Roughly tear the big leaves.
Method:
- Pour ½ tsp of olive oil into a pan and heat on a low flame.
- Once the oil is warm, add minced garlic to it. Allow it to sizzle for 30-40 seconds.
- Add sesame seeds to the pan.
- After 20-30 seconds, add the first batch of kale.
- Add some salt to it and allow to cook it until the kale wilts. Keep rotating to cook all the kale leaves thoroughly.
3. Mushroom and Garlic Kale Mix
This truly versatile leafy vegetable can be superbly mixed with a lot of other elements and veggies for a power-packed healthy meal.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of kale leaves
- Olive oil 1 tsp
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 cup of mushrooms
- Sea salt
- 1 small onion (finely chopped)
- Pan or wok
Method:
- Heat some olive oil in a pan and add the chopped onion to it. Saute for a minute on medium flame.
- Add mushrooms and cook with the onion for 2 minutes.
- Now grate 1 garlic clove into the pan. Saute this nearly for 5 minutes.
- Finally, add kale to the mix. Toss and turn the kale leaves until it wilts for 10-15 minutes.
- When cooked, sprinkle sea salt and give it one closing mix.
4. Kale Recipe with Indian Flavor
This green veggie with a Scottish origin name is a fad in Asia as well. So... good news for all you lip-smacking Indian flavour lovers.
Ingredients:
- Olive oil 3 tsp
- Mustard seeds ¼ tsp
- Cumin seeds ¼ tsp
- 1 tsp chopped garlic
- Asafoetida ¼ tsp
- 1 bowl chopped kale leaves
- Red chilli powder ¼ tsp
- Turmeric powder ¼ tsp
- Coriander powder ¼ tsp
- Garam masala powder ¼ tsp
- Salt ½ tsp
- Potatoes ¼ cup (boiled and chopped in cubes)
Method:
- Heat 3 tbsps of olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Add ¼ tsp of mustard seeds, ¼ tsp cumin seeds, and 1 tsp chopped garlic to it. Saute it well for about 1 minute until the garlic mildly cooks.
- Then add ¼ tsp asafoetida.
- Throw in the bowl of chopped kale leaves and saute until it starts wilts.
- Put in ¼ tsp red chilli powder, ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ¼ tsp coriander powder and ¼ tsp.
- Garam masala powder. Finally, add salt to taste.
- Mix well and cook for 5 minutes. When the leaves start wilting, drizzle a few drops of water and cook.
- Drop those boiled potato cubes, cook on a medium flame for 2 minutes.
- Squeeze in lemon or add ground sesame seeds and serve.
While you enjoy those savoury dishes, here is a wholesome list of all the benefits you get by including kale in your diet.
Healthy Kale Benefits to Enjoy
This leafy green aids digestion with its high fibre content. The entire vegetable is edible and comes with its own health benefits. Apart from the leaves, the kale stem is a rich source of prebiotics - something essential to the microbiome. Moreover, kale is an iron-rich cruciferous vegetable that helps with haemoglobin formation and oxygen provision for the body.
As can be seen from the above nutrient chart, kale is loaded with Vitamins. To begin with, the high vitamin K content, that is potassium, is helpful for the body’s ability to blood clot. Speaking of Vitamins, there is also plenty of Vitamin A to add to its nutritional content that supports eye health. Furthermore, the high degree of antioxidants traps the free radicals, thereby preventing them from harming our cells. Therefore, antioxidants like carotenoids and flavonoids help fight against cancer. The high number of anti-inflammatory properties of kale assists in maintaining the cardiovascular system and diminishes heart diseases and thyroid issues.
Surprisingly enough, kale has more Vitamin C than an orange. For that reason, including this in your diet provides added goodness to skin and hair. Apart from minerals, kale is abundant in minerals, especially calcium. This is exactly how eating kale benefits the bones.
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