Olass wa sal: Egypt’s way to always eat your greens
Olass wa sal is a traditional Egyptian home-cooked dish made with boiled taro root and Swiss chard, gently simmered in a fragrant coriander and garlic base. Nourishing, comforting and seasonal, it is especially associated with winter meals and festive occasions.
Ingredients
- 7-9 taro roots
- 1 head swiss chard
- 1 handful fresh coriander (cilantro)
- 2-3g (1 tbsp) fresh dill
- 5 garlic cloves chopped
- 14ml (1 tbsp) oil
- salt to taste
- 3g (2 tsp) ground coriander seeds
- 14g (1 tbsp) butter
- 475ml (2 cups) broth (stock) chicken or vegetable
Instructions
Prepare the taro
- Peel the taro roots and cut them into cubes.7-9 taro roots
- Add the taro to a pot of salted boiling water.
- Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, until soft.
- Drain and set aside.
Prepare the greens
- Slice the Swiss chard into thin strips.1 head swiss chard
- Finely chop the dill, coriander and garlic.1 handful fresh coriander (cilantro), 2-3g (1 tbsp) fresh dill, 2.5 garlic cloves
- Heat the oil in a pan and sauté half of the garlic with the Swiss chard, dill and coriander.14ml (1 tbsp) oil
- Season lightly with salt.salt
- Stir until the greens are soft and have significantly reduced in volume.
- Remove from the heat.
Make the taqliya
- In a separate pan, dry-roast the ground coriander until it begins to change colour.3g (2 tsp) ground coriander seeds
- Remove from the heat, then add the butter and remaining garlic.14g (1 tbsp) butter, 2.5 garlic cloves
- Stir gently over low heat until the butter is absorbed and the mixture becomes fragrant.
Blend and assemble
- Add one to two ladles of broth (stock) to the cooked chard mixture and blend until smooth.475ml (2 cups) broth (stock)
- Transfer the purée to a pot and add the remaining broth (about 9–10 ladles). The consistency should resemble a thick soup.
- Add the cooked taro and the taqliya.
- Simmer gently on low heat for 10 minutes, without letting it boil.
Serve
- Serve hot with plain rice.
Notes
This recipe uses a chicken broth, but you can easily go fully vegetarian and use a vegetable-based one instead.
