This authentic Ethiopian side dish takes eating healthy greens to a whole new level of deliciousness!
If you’re looking for an authentic Ethiopian veggie side dish to serve with your Ethiopian entree, Gomen (aka Ye’abesha Gomen) is among the most popular and delicious.
Or if you’re simply looking for a wonderfully flavorful way to enjoy those healthy greens, look no further.
Gomen is traditionally made with collard greens but kale works equally well. You can also use spinach but I prefer the crispiness of the collards or kale.
This traditional Ethiopian side dish can be found in most Ethiopian restaurants and pairs wonderfully with any number of Ethiopian meat and vegetarian dishes including doro wat, sega wat and misir wat, to name a few.
Above picture: The gomen is in the top left corner of the platter to the left of the lettuce. A variety of Ethiopian dishes are commonly served for a meal and instead of serving them on a plate are served on injera, Ethiopian flatbread. Additional injera is served on the side and pieces are torn off and used as utensils to scoop up the food.
To make Ethiopian Gomen you need an ingredient called niter kibbeh, which is an Ethiopian spiced clarified butter. It is made using the same method as Indian ghee in which the butter is heated and the butterfat is separated from the milk solids. Niter kibbeh is infused with a variety of fragrant herbs and spices resulting in a clarified butter that is highly aromatic and flavorful. Niter kibbeh is an essential ingredient in Ethiopian cuisine, including Gomen, and there are no adequate substitutes.
Niter kibbeh is extremely easy to make and keeps for several months in the fridge. While you can buy niter kibbeh online, nothing compares to the flavor and fragrance of homemade. Check out our recipe for Authentic Niter Kibbeh (Ethiopian Spiced Clarified Butter).
Be sure to try these other authentic Ethiopian dishes!
Doro Wat (Spicy Ethiopian Chicken Stew)
Sega Wat (Spicy Ethiopian Beef Stew)
Misir Wat (Ethiopian Spiced Red Lentils)
Okay, let’s make that Gomen!
Let’s get started!
Heat the niter kibbeh in a pan over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes.
Add the garlic, ginger and spices and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the collard greens and another tablespoon of niter kibbeh and cook until the collards turn bright green and are wilted but still slightly crispy, 5-7 minutes. Add more spices and/or niter kibbeh to taste.
Enjoy!
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Gomen (Ethiopian Collard Greens)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons niter kibbeh (plus an extra tablespoon for later)
- Homemade Niter Kibbeh , HIGHLY recommended (click link for recipe)
- 1 large yellow onion , halved and thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons finely minced fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 bunch collard greens (about 12 ounces) , washed, thick stems removed, roughly chopped (can also use kale)
Instructions
- Heat niter kibbeh in a pan over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and spices and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the collard greens and another tablespoon of niter kibbeh and cook until the collards turn bright green and are wilted but still a slightly crispy, 5-7 minutes. Add more spices and/or niter kibbeh to taste.
Alicia says
Delicious!! Ingredients and instructions were authentic, on point, and mostly importantly – easy! This came together very quickly at the end of my Ethiopian cooking marathon and I loved the flavors. The slight crispness of the gomen adds good texture when you are eating a plate full of highly cooked mashes of lentils etc. Made w your Misir Wot recipe – they were all hits.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so happy you enjoyed both of the recipes, Alicia, thanks so much!
Lord Batwing Candlewaxxe says
I’ve made this with dandelion (actually chicory) greens. Very nice in the spring, when you’re recovering from a the winter doldrums.
JOAN says
This was really delicious. I think the niter kibbeh really takes this over the top. We used some organic collards that we’d grown last summer, blanched and frozen. They worked well in your recipe. We eat plant based so made our niter kibbeh with plant based butter. It was terrific. Thank you so much. We will be growing extra collards this summer!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Joan, thank you! Funny timing, I just transplanted my collards from my greenhouse into my garden yesterday – looking forward to a big harvest this year :)
Mary says
really yummy. I had”Ethiopian night” with my family. Made 3 of your recipies. Lots of chopping, dicing, cooking and cleaning of dishes, but oh my-delicious! Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s wonderful, Mary, what a fun night and I’m so glad all the recipes were a hit, thank you!
Tariq Hossenbux says
Pretty much the only change was mixing in some cooked rice I had to use up. Delicious and spicy!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Tariq, thank you!
Yodit says
My culture food is fantastic!!!!!
Monti says
Thank you for posting this! I think I requested it a few weeks ago. Making Doro Wat tonight so will make Gomen to go with it. You are fantastic!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
You sure did, Monti, you’re welcome! :) Hope you enjoy both the doro wat and the gomen!
Nina Tayler says
Hey Kimberly,
Do you reckon I can use two teaspoons of berbere instead?
Its just I have loaaads of berbere left from when I made your delicious misir wat recipe, so would like to use that instead!
Thanks
Nina
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Absolutely, Nina, berbere is perfect!
Judy says
Thanks for the suggestion to use berbere. I also had some extra from the doro wat I made, and I didn’t have the other spices in the recipe. I came out great. Thanks for a delicious recipe, Kimberly!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Judy!
Erin says
What a great recipe! I have to put this on my menu!
Krista says
Bring on the greens! These look so good!
Megan Ancheta says
I am so excited to try this recipe! It looks delicious, and I love the vibrant color of the greens!
Toffeeapple says
Thank you Kimberly!
Cathy says
These sound so flavorful!
Toffeeapple says
Are you able to tell me exactly what Collard means, in this context, please? It is a word that I have been unable to get a handle on for many years!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Where the term “collard” comes from I don’t know but they’re in the cabbage family. They’re large loose leaves, similar to kale.
Linda says
Yes, collards have often larger leaves if you compare them to kale at a market’s produce section. The best time to buy collard greens is in the cool season. It’s at this time of year that collards and other greens are at their sweetest. If still in doubt, the produce personnel can guide you to what you’re looking for. Should you find kale enjoyable, try growing your own for amazing freshness and flavor.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Linda, definitely, we grow our own greens every year (kale, collards, Swiss chard, spinach, etc) and the flavor and nutrition are vastly superior.
Kitten says
Kimberly, I’m so excited you posted this! This is my absolute favorite Ethiopian dish, hands down! I also love the cabbage dish (I forget the name). I’ll be trying this one this week. All of your recipes I’ve cooked have turned out fabulous and I’m sure this will be no exception. I thank you and my family thanks you :)
Melanie Bauer says
Looks absolutely awesome! This is my kind of side dish, adding to my list of must makes!
Lora says
I think this is how I would love to eat collard greens! Love the spice mix!