Sukuma wiki is nutrient rich

Sukuma wiki (kale) is abundant in Kenya because it is easy to grow and can be grown almost anywhere. In slums, the crop is planted in sacks. Its green leaves sprout within a week, which makes the vegetable available throughout the year.

A small area can feed a family and give surplus for sale. But some people find sukuma wiki to be unpalatable and they claim that it gives them hiccups and stomach acid.

Nutritionist Mary Nyambane says sukuma wiki is one of the most nutritious vegetables. It has plenty of vitamin A and B. It is also good roughage which aids digestion.

“The palatability of sukuma wiki depends on how it is cooked. When it is over cooked, it becomes tasteless and slightly bitter,’’ she says.

The best way to cook sukuma wiki is to simmer it. Do not allow the colour to change.

“When the colour changes to jungle green that is an indication that it has been over-cooked and the taste will change,’’ says Nyambane. Boiling makes it lose all its nutrients.

The best way to cook sukuma is to wash it, shake off the water and cut off the sticks. Then fry onions till tender, add tomatoes and finally the sukuma. Stir but do not cover the pot since it will aid in changing the colour. Once it is ready, serve immediately.

“Just enough sukuma should be cooked for the meal; this is not the kind of vegetable which can be stored overnight since it will lose all its nutrients and become unpalatable,’’ she said.

The nutritionist advises against buying chopped vegetables. They are unhygienic and the polythene paper bags they are packed in produce a foul smell due to the heat.

“The water used for cutting the sukuma is not only dirty and full of germs but the seller uses her hands to chop the vegetable and holds money (which is very dirty) at the same time.’’