Introducing Malabar spinach (Basella alba or rubra) to the western world. Malabar spinach is highly grown and consumed widely in India and other parts of South Asia. Malabar spinach is fleshy, thick and slimy. Leaves and tender and vine stems are edible. They may be eaten in appetizers, sautéed, stir-fried, in soups, and curries. Even use in omelets, pasta dishes, casseroles. There are 2 varieties of Malabar spinach. Alba has green vines, while rubra has red vines. Malabar spinach is a common ingredient in Indian and Asian grocery stores. Look for asian stores if you are shopping for it.
Malabar spinach is not spinach. To me, there isn’t any relation visually or in taste. Maybe scientifically they are distantly related. This dish called bachali Kura in Telugu. This easy dish features Malabar spinach with fresh ground sesame seeds making it a clean, all-natural vegan, vegetarian, paleo and gluten-free dish. For those looking for clean, healthy, tasty, homemade dinner, this dish is heaven. You just can’t imagine simple ingredients can make nourishing soul food. Fresh ground sesame paste adds a smooth silky body and nutty crunch giving a unique flavor and texture. If you are still waiting to start a healthy lifestyle, whether it is vegetarian, vegan, paleo or a clean lifestyle, don’t wait. Just get started today.
These succulent leaves and stems are rich in iron as any other leafy vegetables. Also rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C, minerals, calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, and sodium. Sesame seeds add copper, manganese, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc etc. You can simply replace your vitamin pills with this dish. Before using, wash leaves and stems thoroughly. Separate leaves. Keep tender stems. Stems carry a lot of nutrition. Adding wild/brown rice or quinoa to your Malabar spinach adds daily quota of the fiber you need. Overall this dish with wild, brown rice and quinoa has an impressive amounts of minerals, vitamins, iron, dietary fiber and many more. It benefits you with cholesterol balance, fiber amount eases your digestive process. Dietary fiber can help you eliminate constipation, diarrhea, bloating, cramping, ulcers, and hemorrhoids.
In different areas of India, Malabar spinach is called
- pui shak in Bengali,
- poi ni bhaji in Gujarati,
- basale soppu in Kannada
- valchi bhaji, vauchi bhaji in Konkani
- vallicheera in Malayalam
- mayalu in Marathi
- kodip pasali in Tamil
- bachali kura in Telugu
- basale in Tulu.
- 4 cups packed washed, chopped Malabar spinach
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- ¼ cup diced onion
- 2½ tbsp healthy oil as olive or coconut
- 5-8 red chilies depending on your spice level
- Salt
- 5 curry leaves
- ⅛th tsp black mustard seeds - optional
- ⅛th tsp cumin
- ¼th tsp turmeric powder
- ¼th tsp coriander powder optional
- ¼th tsp chili powder in case you need spicier
- 2 sprigs cilantro
- Roast sesame seeds until golden brown. I use brown sesame seeds. Let them cool.
- Meanwhile, pour oil into a pot. Heat to medium.
- Add red chilies. Fry until golden brown.
- Add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add cumin.
- Fry till golden brown. Add onion and curry leaves. Cook until soft.
- Add turmeric powder. Stir.
- Add chopped Malabar spinach.
- Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add salt, stir and close the lid to cook in steam. Stir occasionally. Sometimes you curry may become dry. In that case, add water. If it is little watery, Let it be.
- Grind sesame seeds to the powder. Sesame seeds produce oil if you over grind. You do not need extra oil.
- When leaves are soft, add sesame powder, coriander powder and chili powder optionally. Still well to remove any lumps.
- Cook for 2 minutes. Let the water evaporate if there is any. Consistency should be semi-solid.
- Turn off the stove when you think it is the right consistency.
- Garnish with cilantro.
- Eat with rice, roti or naan
Hi Ujwala,
Can I substitute malabar spinach with regular spinach?
Yes absolutely.
Thanks for this recipe. Such simple, elegant and healthy recipes and we are rapidly loosing them.
Can I use nuvvula podi (dry roasted and ground Sesame powder) instead of paste as suggested by you ?
Yes you can use sesame powder. I use sesame powder. It is easy to mix with powder than thick form of tahini.
IT is not related to spinach at all. I realized at some poit that some south Indian language has a word for green leafy veggies that is translated as spinach so even amaranth is small leaf spinach.
Malabar spinach is called bachali Kura in Telugu. other names are given in the blog. it is not exactly related to spinach. named after spinach.