What Is Krain Krain? The Sierra Leonean Jute Leaf Plasas Explained
Krain krain is a Sierra Leonean plasas made from jute leaves cooked with red palm oil, pepper and fish until smooth and slightly drawing. Here is what it is and how it is made.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Krain krain, also spelled crain crain, is a Sierra Leonean plasas made from the leaves of the jute mallow plant, cooked down with red palm oil, onion, hot pepper and meat or fish. As the leaves cook they turn slightly slippery, or drawing, which gives the stew its smooth, silky texture. It is one of the classic plasas of Sierra Leone and is served over rice, traditionally eaten on a Thursday. The same jute leaf is known as ewedu in Nigeria, though it is cooked quite differently there. In the UK the jute leaves and other ingredients to make krain krain are sold by African food shops, which you can find near you on African Stores.
What to remember
- Krain krain is a Sierra Leonean plasas made from jute mallow leaves.
- It is also spelled crain crain, and the same leaf is called saluyot and, in Nigeria, ewedu.
- It is cooked with red palm oil, onion, hot pepper and meat or fish.
- The leaves draw as they cook, giving the stew a smooth, slightly slippery texture.
- It is served over rice and is traditionally eaten on Thursdays.
A pot of krain krain on the stove carries the deep, earthy smell of greens softening in red palm oil, a smell that means a proper home meal is on its way. In many Sierra Leonean households it belongs to Thursday, the day this particular plasas so often appears, spooned generously over a mound of white rice. There is comfort in that rhythm, in knowing which day brings which pot.
For Sierra Leoneans in Britain, krain krain is one of those dishes that folds the whole week back into place. The leaves may travel a long way to reach a UK kitchen, but once they hit the palm oil and begin to draw, the plate on the table tastes exactly like home. To cook it for family here is to keep a small, steady tradition alive far from Freetown.
What Krain Krain Actually Is
Krain krain, sometimes written crain crain, is a plasas, the Krio word for a leafy stew cooked with palm oil that sits at the heart of Sierra Leonean home cooking. It is made from jute leaves, the tender greens of the jute mallow plant, which are chopped and simmered with red palm oil, onion, hot pepper and a helping of meat or fish. The result is a dark green, savoury stew with a gentle heat and a distinctive smooth, slightly slippery feel on the spoon.
That slipperiness is the point. As the jute leaves cook they release a natural viscosity and become drawing, giving the stew its silky, mucilaginous texture, much like okra soup, another beloved drawing dish. Krain krain is one of the classic plasas of Sierra Leone and sits comfortably within the wider world of Sierra Leonean food, where palm oil, greens and rice form the everyday backbone of the table.
Krain Krain and Nigerian Ewedu
It surprises many people to learn that krain krain and the Nigerian ewedu are made from the very same leaf, the jute mallow. What differs is the kitchen it passes through. In Sierra Leone the leaf becomes krain krain, a plasas cooked with red palm oil, pepper and fish or meat, rich and hearty and eaten over rice. In the Yoruba tradition of Nigeria the same leaf becomes ewedu, a lighter, brightly green soup usually cooked without palm oil and served with gbegiri and a pepper stew, often alongside amala.
So the leaf is one thing and the dish is another. Knowing this helps if you are shopping in the UK, where the greens may be labelled jute leaves, krain krain, saluyot or ewedu depending on the shop and the community it serves. Whichever name is on the bundle, it is the same plant, ready to be cooked in whichever tradition you grew up with.
How Krain Krain Is Made and Served
Making krain krain begins with the jute leaves, which are picked from their stems, washed well and finely chopped so they cook down evenly. Red palm oil is heated with onion and hot pepper to build the base, then the leaves go in with meat or fish and a little stock or water, and everything simmers gently until the greens are soft and the stew turns smooth and drawing. Seasoning is adjusted to taste, and some cooks add ground crayfish or a smoked fish for extra depth. It is then served hot, ladled over plain white rice, and it also pairs well with fufu.
A gentle note on ingredients. Krain krain is usually cooked with fish, so anyone with a fish or shellfish allergy should take care, and it relies on red palm oil, a traditional West African cooking fat. Cooks who need to can adjust the fish or protein to suit their household, though the palm oil is central to the flavour and colour of a true plasas. As with any traditional dish, treat notes about its goodness as general background rather than proven fact, and simply enjoy it as the warming, everyday food it is meant to be.
Where to Buy Krain Krain Ingredients in the UK
The ingredients for krain krain are straightforward to gather in Britain from African food shops. The key item is the jute leaves themselves, sold fresh, frozen or sometimes dried, and often labelled krain krain, saluyot or ewedu, so it is worth asking if you do not see the exact name you expect. Alongside them, shops serving West African customers stock red palm oil, hot peppers, onion, ground crayfish and smoked or dried fish, everything a good pot of plasas needs. You can find African food stores near you to see what is nearby.
Frequently asked questions
What is krain krain?
Krain krain, also spelled crain crain, is a Sierra Leonean plasas made from the leaves of the jute mallow plant, cooked with red palm oil, onion, hot pepper and meat or fish. As the leaves cook they turn slightly slippery, or drawing, giving the stew a smooth, silky texture. It is served over rice and is traditionally eaten on Thursdays.
Is krain krain the same as ewedu?
Krain krain and the Nigerian ewedu are made from the very same leaf, the jute mallow, but they are cooked differently. In Sierra Leone the leaf becomes krain krain, a plasas cooked with red palm oil, pepper and fish or meat. In the Yoruba tradition of Nigeria the same leaf becomes ewedu, a lighter soup usually cooked without palm oil and served with gbegiri and stew.
What does krain krain taste like?
Krain krain is savoury and earthy with a gentle heat from the pepper and a rich depth from the red palm oil and fish. Its most distinctive quality is its texture, smooth and slightly slippery, because the jute leaves draw as they cook. Served over white rice, it is warming and hearty everyday food.
How is krain krain made?
The jute leaves are washed and finely chopped, then simmered with red palm oil, onion, hot pepper and meat or fish until soft and drawing. Some cooks add ground crayfish or smoked fish for extra depth, and the seasoning is adjusted to taste. It is served hot over plain white rice.
Where can I buy krain krain in the UK?
Krain krain is cooked at home, so African food shops are the place to buy the ingredients, above all the jute leaves, which may be sold fresh, frozen or dried and labelled krain krain, saluyot or ewedu. Shops serving West African customers also stock red palm oil, hot peppers, ground crayfish and smoked fish. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks them.