Ingredients :

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Oil, butter or fat 3 T
Onion chopped or minced 1 each
Greens de-stemmed, chopped 2 lbs
Water or stock 1-2 cups
Salt & pepper

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Method :

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1. Heat oil or fat over medium-high flame in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or wok. Add onion and saute till just browning. Stir in greens and saute till wilted but firm.
2. Add water or stock and salt and pepper.
3. Simmer gently over medium flame till tender, from 10-30 minutes depending on the type of green.
4. Adjust seasoning and serve with a little bit of the broth.

Variations :

* Brazil:

* Couve à Mineira: Follow above recipe using collard greens & kale, chopping well. Serve as an accompaniment to feijoada.

* China: Add ginger, garlic and soy sauce, and sometimes chicken.

* Ethiopia: Puree with spiced butter.

* Greece: Use wild greens like amaranth or tender cultivated greens such as dandelion, spinach or sorrel.

* Horta Ladolemono (Greens with lemon-olive oil dressing): Saute the greens in olive oil to wilt. Add a little water, salt and pepper, and simmer gently, covered, till cooked through. Stir in the juice of one or two lemons. Drizzle a little more olive oil over the top and serve.
* Mavromatika Fasolia me Myronolahana (Wild greens with black-eyed peas): Saute an onion and some garlic in olive oil. Add a little tomato paste and some greens and saute to wilt the greens. Add a little water, cover and simmer till tender. Stir in some cooked, rinsed black-eyed peas. Simmer to heat through. Adjust seasoning, drizzle with olive oil and serve.

* India: Add spices and ginger and saute in ghee.

* Kenya:

* Sukuma Wiki (Kenyan greens & tomatoes): Follow the above recipe, but add 2 cups of chopped tomatoes along with the water.
* Add a chopped chili pepper or two with the onions if you like.
* Some recipes call for thickening the dish with a flour-lemon juice mixture. Here's how: mix 2 T of flour well with the juice of 1 lemon and a little water. Stir into the greens after they have been simmering for about 10 minutes. Continue simmering for another 15-20 minutes until the dish is slightly thickened.
* If you like, add leftover meat you may have for more flavor. Kenyans would most likely add goat or beef.

* United States: Use collards, mustard or turnip greens, kale, or a mixture.

* Southern Greens: Saute a chopped onion in bacon fat or lard. Add the greens in batches and saute to wilt. Add water or stock to cover, a smoked ham hock or turkey tail, a big pinch of sugar and salt and pepper. Simmer till the greens are tender (some cooks allow them to simmer low overnight). Finish with a touch of vinegar if you like, and serve with soul or Southern meals. Pass Tabasco or Pickapeppa sauce at the table.

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Notes :

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* Cooked wild or cultivated greens is a dish that is found in endless varieties around the world. The above recipe is a very basic one that works well with any sturdy variety of greens.
* Following are some of the possible greens to use for this dish: beet, bok choy, chard, chicory, collard, dandelion, gai lan, kale, mustard, turnip, spinach.