Spicy Peanut‑Tomato Dip with Sriracha and Crispy Kale

Gather your Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, a blender or immersion blender, a baking sheet, and a wooden spoon. Position an oven rack in the upper third and preheat to 190°C (375°F).

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons sunflower oil until it shimmers gently, about 1 minute. Add the 3 garlic cloves, minced, and cook 2 minutes until fragrant but not browned.

Add the 400g chopped tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir well and cook 10-12 minutes, breaking tomatoes down with your wooden spoon, until they collapse into a thick, deep-red sauce and the oil begins to separate.

Transfer the tomato-garlic mixture to a blender. Add 1.5 cups peanuts, 2 tablespoons sriracha, and the juice of 1 lemon. Blend on high 2-3 minutes until completely smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides once. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

Return the blended dip to a serving bowl and let it cool to warm room temperature, about 15 minutes. The dip will thicken slightly as it cools.

While the dip cools, toss the torn kale pieces with 1 tablespoon sunflower oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl until every leaf is lightly coated.

Spread the kale in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake on the upper rack at 190°C (375°F) for 8-10 minutes, watching closely, until the leaves are deeply crispy and slightly darkened at the edges but still bright green. Remove immediately to prevent burning.

Let the kale cool on the baking sheet 2 minutes—it will crisp further as it cools.

Scatter the crispy kale pieces generously over the top of the peanut-tomato dip. Drizzle with an extra squeeze of lemon juice if you like. Serve immediately with warm crusty bread, tortilla chips, or fried plantain slices alongside.