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    Home » Recipes » Curries & Stir Fries

    Published: Nov 18, 2018 · Modified: Apr 1, 2020 by Usha Rao

    Sri Lankan Kale Mallung Recipe

    Jump to Recipe

    Sri Lankan kale mallung is a delicious kale stir fry with grated coconut. Flavorful mallung is a side dish that pairs well with rice.

    Sri Lankan Kale Mallung

    Table of contents

    • Theme of the Week - Global Cuisine
    • What is Kale Mallung?
    • Why Kale Mallung?
    • Sri Lankan Kale Mallung Recipe
    • Related Recipes

    Theme of the Week - Global Cuisine

    For this week’s global cuisine, the second dish is Sri Lankan Kale Mallung or Mallum which I served with rice and some dhal curry. Mallung is a side dish where cooked leafy vegetables are mixed with grated coconut. Wild cabbage leaves mallung is very popular in Sri Lanka and those leaves are lot similar to kale. At least one variety of mallung is a must in a Sri Lankan meal.

    What is Kale Mallung?

    Mallung or mallum means ‘mix up’. Traditionally, finely chopped leafy vegetables and grated coconut are cooked in a dry skillet and seasoned to taste. Newer versions of the recipe use some oil but in minimal quantity. Since coconut oil is common in Sri Lankan cooking, I used it as well. Season mallungs with either red chilies, green chilies and chili powder, or a combination of any of the three. In creative versions of mallungs such as cauliflower and broccoli mallungs, a small stick of cinnamon goes a long way.

    Why Kale Mallung?

    Kale is a superfood loaded with nutrients. It is rich in iron, calcium, vitamins, minerals and fiber. My usage of kale thus far is limited to soups and a dal. There are numerous kale mallung recipes online and each version looks crunchy, delicious and irresistible. So I had to try it! Crunchy kale mallung tastes a lot like kale chips. Though it is a side dish for rice, it makes a wonderful side dish even with grilled meats and a great snack.

    Sri Lankan kale mallung, kale mallum, kale mellun

    Sri Lankan Kale Mallung Recipe

    Sri Lankan Kale Mallung

    Sri Lankan Kale Mallung

    Kale mallung is a Sri Lankan side dish and a stir fry with kale and coconut. It is a quick, gluten free, vegan recipe.
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish, Snack
    Cuisine: Sri Lankan
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 3
    Calories: 84kcal

    Ingredients

    • 250 grams Kale or a small bunch
    • 1 teaspoon Coconut Oil
    • ¼ teaspoon Mustard Seeds
    • ¼ teaspoon Cumin Seeds
    • 2 long Red Chillies or to taste
    • ½ small Onion or ⅓ cup when sliced
    • 6 Curry Leaves
    • ¾ teaspoon Salt or to taste
    • 2 tablespoon grated fresh Coconut

    Instructions

    • Wash kale and pluck the leaves. If the stem is very tender, use it as well.
    • Finely chop kale leaves and leave it in a colander to drain. Leave it for 1 hour or put it in a salad spinner. When pressed for time, pat dry with paper towels.  
    • Heat oil in a pan, add cumin, mustard seeds and let the seeds splutter.
    • Thrown in the red chilies and let brown.
    • Add onion, curry Leaves, some salt and sauté on high flame until onions are soft.
    • Gradually add kale leaves and stir until leaves wilt.
    • Cover the pan and cook for a minute, then uncover and continue stir frying on high flame until leaves are cooked. I prefer crispy and not too soft kale.
    • For softer kale, cook a little longer and mind you kale is thick and takes  longer to cook when compared to spinach.
    • Sprinkle grated coconut and give a good stir.
    • Taste mallung and adjust salt to taste.
    • Serve hot with steaming rice.

    Notes

    • Dry Coconut - Use fresh or frozen coconut. If using dry coconut, soak grated dry coconut in water for ½ - 1 hour.
    • Variation - Use combination of red and green chilies or only green chilies.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 0g | Calories: 84kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 617mg | Potassium: 540mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 8689IU | Vitamin C: 184mg | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Share a photo! Mention @usha_myspicykitchen or tag #Usha_MySpicyKitchen!

    Related Recipes

    • Sri Lankan Shrimp Curry
    • BM#4 Day 2: Sausage White Beans & Kale Soup
    • BM#3 Day 6: Baked Crispy Kale
    • Kale Dal, Video Recipe
    • Sri Lankan Eggplant Salad

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    « Sri Lankan Dhal Curry Recipe
    Sri Lankan Eggplant Salad »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tania says

      May 05, 2022 at 7:41 pm

      5 stars
      I made this recently. This is the best kale Mallanganee I've tasted

      Reply
      • Usha Rao says

        May 08, 2022 at 8:34 am

        Thank you Tania. I am glad you liked it. Thanks again for trying the recipe and letting me know.

        Reply
    2. Archana says

      September 23, 2020 at 9:05 am

      5 stars
      Absolutely love the recipe Usha. I think I can use methi too to make this yummy vegetabe. Love it.

      Reply
    3. Srivalli Jetti says

      December 04, 2018 at 1:40 am

      Your whole spread looks so inviting Usha, love all the dishes on display and this one with kale sounds fantastic..I haven't tasted kale till now but sounds so healthy for sure!

      Reply
    4. Sushma Pinjala says

      December 03, 2018 at 5:26 pm

      Kale mallung looks amazing. Must try soon

      Reply
    5. Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

      December 03, 2018 at 10:24 am

      5 stars
      That is a great recipe with kale. I am not a big fan of kale and desperately trying to use it more often. I will definitely give this a try when I buy some baby kale next time.

      Reply
    6. code2cook says

      November 29, 2018 at 9:51 am

      5 stars
      kale is a healthy green and using it in such a recipe make it tastful.

      Reply
    7. Pavani says

      November 28, 2018 at 2:34 pm

      5 stars
      I made this kale mallung a few months back and absolutely loved how simple and delicious it is. Great pick for the week.

      Reply
    8. Srividhya Gopalakrishnan says

      November 28, 2018 at 2:16 pm

      5 stars
      I love kale stir fry and I can smell the coconut oil flavor here. Amazing and the picture is very nice.

      Reply
    9. Chef Mireille says

      November 27, 2018 at 11:09 pm

      I dont like mushy veggies so this sounds like my kind of veggie side dish - perfect with rice and chicken

      Reply
    10. Gayathri Kumar says

      November 26, 2018 at 6:29 am

      This reminds me of the keerai poriyal we make with lots of grated coconut. I haven't tasted kale but looking at your platter, I know it tastes so yum.

      Reply
    11. Priya Suresh says

      November 24, 2018 at 11:33 am

      A bowl of rice with this Kale stir fry is quite enough for me to finish my meal happily. Adding coconut to stir fries makes them more flavourful, my kind of dish.

      Reply
    12. harini says

      November 23, 2018 at 7:40 pm

      5 stars
      Wow! That is a new one Usha - Kale in a stir fry. I shall try it the next time Kale appears in my house.

      Reply
    13. Rafeeda - The Big Sweet Tooth says

      November 19, 2018 at 3:14 am

      I have never tried kale in stir fried form, this sounds really delicious.

      Reply
      • MySpicyKitchen says

        November 19, 2018 at 7:21 am

        It was the first for me to and I totally fell in love with it. Made it 2 weeks in a row. This is going to be regular at home from now on, along with spinach.

        Reply

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