AI-generated image
Mrenda
Jute mallow greens
Mrenda: Luhya jute mallow cooked silky with a pinch of soda
Luhya grandmothers in Kakamega and Bungoma say mrenda slides the ugali down, and they mean it: jute mallow leaves, cooked with a little soda, turn deliberately slippery and silky, a texture Western Kenya loves. The flavour is mild and grassy, lifted here with onion and tomato, and the greens are often mixed with cowpea leaves or eaten beside fish. Fresh jute mallow can be hard to find, but frozen chopped leaves sold as molokhia in Middle Eastern and African shops work perfectly. The traditional alkali is a lye filtered from ash; bicarbonate of soda stands in, and heaping it in is the mistake that leaves a soapy taste, so keep to a pinch. Chef's tip: stir with a wooden whisk or a fork in one direction as it cooks; Luhya cooks beat it this way to make the sauce smooth.
- Total time
- 23 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 14 oz jute mallow (mrenda) leavesfresh, stripped and finely chopped, or frozen chopped molokhia, thawed
- 1 cup water
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 1 tomatochopped
- ½ tsp salt
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Bring 1 cup water to the boil in a pot over a medium-high heat and stir in ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda.
Step 2: Add 14 oz jute mallow (mrenda) leaves and cook uncovered, beating with a fork or wooden whisk now and then, until the leaves are soft and the liquid is glossy and slippery.
8 minStep 3: Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a small pan over a medium heat and fry 1 onion until soft and golden.
5 minStep 4: Add 1 tomato to the onion and cook until it collapses.
3 minStep 5: Stir the onion mixture and ½ tsp salt into the greens and simmer gently for 2 minutes, beating, until evenly silky.
2 minStep 6: Serve at once with ugali, pinching up the greens with each mouthful.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 60 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mrenda take?
- About 23 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 18 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of bicarbonate of soda?
- Baking powder, three times the amount (the bake may taste slightly different).
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
TashmijabiMashed potatoes with stretchy cheese
Potatoes grow well in the cold valleys of Svaneti, and tashmijabi is how families around Mestia turn them into a feast dish: they are mashed hot, then beaten with handfuls of young sulguni until the purée becomes glossy and stretches from the spoon in long strands. It is served with grilled meat, kubdari or simply with pickles and Svan salt. A common mistake is letting the potatoes cool before adding the cheese; they must be piping hot for the cheese to melt and stretch. Chef's tip: keep the pan on a low heat while you beat, and use a firm wooden spoon. Most sulguni uses animal rennet; choose a vegetarian one or use mozzarella.
Georgian
Jamaican callalooSteamed callaloo greens
In Jamaica, callaloo means the leaves and tender stems of a type of amaranth, sold in big bundles in every market from Coronation Market in Kingston to Santa Cruz in St Elizabeth. It's steamed down with onion, tomato, garlic and thyme into soft, savoury greens with a mild mineral sweetness, and eaten at breakfast with fried dumplings, boiled green bananas or hard dough bread, or as a side at dinner. Spinach or Swiss chard can stand in if you can't find callaloo. Chef's tip: peel the fibrous skin from the thicker stems with a small knife and slice the stems and leaves finely across, about 1 cm wide. That's how Jamaican cooks get callaloo that's tender all the way through rather than stringy.
Jamaican
Yorkshire puddings
In Yorkshire the pudding was once served first, on its own with gravy, to fill people up before the meat; today these puffed, crisp-edged cups sit beside the roast at Sunday lunch all over England. The batter is nothing but eggs, flour and milk, and the trick is in the heat: smoking-hot fat in the tin and a hot oven. Serve with onion gravy for a vegetarian roast. Chef's tip: rest the batter for at least 30 minutes, which helps the puddings rise tall and even.
British