Plasas

What it really is

A Gambian leafy stew, often made with cassava leaves and fish.

Plasas is a Gambian leafy-green stew rather than a single fixed recipe. Cassava or other local leaves are cooked with palm oil and fish or meat; groundnut may also appear in some versions. This record uses cassava leaves, fish and palm oil, while leaving optional groundnut outside the base formula. It is distinct from supakanja, whose defining ingredient is okra. Plasas is commonly served with rice or another staple, and Gambian meals are often shared from a communal bowl. The menu should identify which leaves and protein are actually used, and disclose groundnut if the kitchen adds it.

The leaves are cooked down until tender, producing a soft, savoury stew rather than a fresh salad. Cassava leaves are the version recorded in this entity, but other local greens may be used under the broader name. Fish adds flavour and protein; some cooks use meat instead, while groundnut may enrich certain sauces. These are recipe choices and should not be combined into one assumed formula. The stew is served hot with rice or another staple to balance the greens and sauce. A menu should identify the leaves and protein in the pot and say whether groundnut is included. This also distinguishes plasas from okra-based supakanja, although both can be served with rice.

Serve the cooked leaves hot with rice or another staple. State which greens and protein are in the pot, and name groundnut if it is used to thicken or enrich the sauce.

How it's served

• Serve hot with rice or a cooked staple.

How to write it on the menu

• State which leaves and protein are used; recipes can vary.