Whenever you make Sesame Kale, try with any of these Asian inspired dishes and it is sure to make your meal round and you get your veggies too. Trust Apronese, because this is the easiest, fastest side dish you can make, simple yet absolutely delicious.
Follow the article to know the recipe to make it, it’s fast, only 3 minutes to read it.
Which Kale is Best for Sesame Kale?
Since I find lacinato kale (or dinosaur kale) to be very easy to work with and has a really nice appearance, I decided to use it here. I think the flat leaves are much easier to work with than curly kale, and once it is cooked, it looks very much like glossy seaweed.
Regardless of whether you can’t get lacinato kale or whether it’s cheaper to use curly kale, it really works just as well, so feel free to use what you find more convenient.
The Sesame Kale I used in the Chili Garlic Tofu Bowls I made this week was made with this Sesame Kale.
Sesame Kale
Sesame Kale is a quick and easy side dish that pairs perfectly with any Asian inspired meal.
Servings 4
Prep Time: 10 Mins/ Cook Time: 7 Mins/ Total Time: 17 Mins
Ingredients
- 1 bunch lacinato (dino) kale ($1.49)
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ( $0.02)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.09)
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil ( $0.11)
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds ($0.08)
Instructions
- You can either slice down each side of the kale leaves with a knife, or you can pinch at the base of the leaves and pull them out toward the tip of the leaf with a sharp knife. The leaves should be stacked and then sliced crosswise into strips of 1 inch wide each. In a colander, wash the leaves well with cool running water and dry them well.
- A medium-sized pot is the best way to prepare the garlic. Mince the garlic and add it to the pot with one tablespoon of neutral cooking oil (or your favorite cooking oil). Sauté the garlic for about one minute over medium heat until the garlic is soft.
- Cook the kale leaves for about 5 minutes, or until they are wilted and glossy, whichever you prefer. You can also cook them for longer if you prefer a more tender leaf.
- To the pot, add the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Stir to coat with the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning according to your taste. Serve the warm dish immediately.
Nutritional
Serving: 1 Serving/ Calories: 67.95kcal/ Carbohydrates: 3.43g/ Protein: 1.85g/ Fat: 5.88g/ Sodium: 230.28mg/ Fiber: 1.3g
The nutritional values shown here are only estimates. Please see our nutrition disclaimer.
Step by Step Photos
Start with one bunch of kale. I recommend using lacinato kale as it makes it easier for me to work with. To remove the stems, you can use a knife, or you can pinch near the base with your other hand and slide it down to the tip with the other hand.
By pinching the leaves together, you will pull the leaves out of the stem, which will then naturally break where the stem becomes tender, which will then be stacked and cut crosswise into thin strips of one inch wide. Once the stems are removed, stack the leaves and then slice them into thin strips.
After washing the kale leaves in a colander, make sure they are well drained with cool water.
It is important to mince two garlic cloves and sauté them for about a minute on a medium heat in a large pot with about a tablespoon of your favorite cooking oil before serving them.
Immediately add the washed kale to the pot and stir continuously until the kale has become wilted and glossy. By cooking for only about five minutes, I am able to retain a slightly chewy texture and body to it, while if you prefer a softer texture, you may cook it for longer.
Lastly, add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds to the pot, stir to coat the kale, and then taste. If you aren’t satisfied with the taste, you can adjust the seasonings accordingly.
If you want to make it a little spicy, you can add some red pepper flakes or honey if you’d rather soften the bitterness of the greens.
Despite the fact that the bottle doesn’t specifically say “toasted”, you can tell it is toasted by the dark amber color on the bottle. Toasted sesame oil is much more nutty than regular sesame oil. Regular sesame oil is a pale straw color, like canola.
A small bottle like this has a much stronger nutty flavor, and since it is so potent, you only need a small amount to make a big impact, so you can use one small bottle like this for a long period of time.
And that was all there was to it! During all the time I was shooting these photos, I ate so much of the sesame kale that I might just end up going back to the store to buy more kale to make a second batch!
Don’t skip the kale with sesame on tired days or you don’t know what to eat, because according to Apronese, it’s delicious, cool and good for the body. Cooking time is also quick and easy to make. If you have a better way to cook this dish, please share it in the comments for everyone to read.
