I love south Indian food. When I was working in a restaurant briefly, in Goa a few years ago, I would stop by for lunch at this small shack by the roadside in Siolim. It was run by an old aunty who served the best and simplest fish thali with a new seasonal vegetable every day. Amaranth sabzi was on the menu every Tuesday and I would look forward to it! Here’s my version of it!I love south Indian food. When I was working in a restaurant briefly, in Goa a few years ago, I would stop by for lunch at this small shack by the roadside in Siolim. It was run by an old aunty who served the best and simplest fish thali with a new seasonal vegetable every day. Amaranth sabzi was on the menu every Tuesday and I would look forward to it! Here’s my version of it!
Ingredients
- 1 Bunch Amaranth Leaves
- 2-3 Tbsp Coconut Oil
- 1 Pinch Asafoetida (an essential part of the recipe)
- 1/2 Tsp Coriander Powder
- 1 Tbsp Mustard Seeds
- 1 Onion (medium size)
- 1 Cup French Beans (or any choice of vegetable)
- Fresh Coriander (for garnish)
- Freshly Grated Coconut (for garnish)
- Salt to Taste
- 2-3 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Ginger (an inch size piece)
- 2-3 Green Chillis
- Curry Leaves
Preparation
Prep: 15 minutes
Cooking: 20 minutes
- For Pre-prep – Wash and chop the amaranth leaves. Do not discard all the stems. Chop the lowermost portion of the stems only. To know if the stem is edible, break the lower portion of the stem with hands. If it snaps easily then it’s edible. The main flavour is in the stems I feel!
- Roughly chop the ginger and garlic. I always smash the garlic cloves slightly before roughly chopping them to help release the flavour and natural oils.
- Roughly chop the onions and the green chillies too.
- If you are using any other veggies then chop them too. I used French beans, you can use carrots, peas, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, zucchini, pumpkin, gavaar, tendli etc.
- Chop the fresh coriander and grate the coconut. Set aside.
- For Cooking – In a pan, heat coconut oil and add mustard seeds. Once they crackle, add the curry leaves and sauté for a minute to incorporate its flavour into the oil.
- Now add chopped onions, garlic, ginger, chillies and sauté till onions are pinkish on medium-low flame.
- Now add coriander powder, asafoetida, salt and sauté for about a minute or less, till the raw aroma is gone. (Asafoetida is excellent for digestion and a taste enhancer).
- Now add the chopped amaranth leaves, stems and other vegetables (I used parboiled French beans). Mix well and cook on medium-low flame for 1 to 2 minutes. (Since the amaranth leaves don’t take too long to cook, it’s better to parboil the other vegetables so that they cook thoroughly when the amaranth leaves are cooking simultaneously).
- Cover and let it cook on slow flame. Do not add water as amaranth leaves’ stems leaves water. To know if the vegetables are cooked, touch a few stems to check for softness.
- Check for salt. Garnish with freshly grated coconut and coriander leaves. Served with daal, rice, chapatti, fish curry or any meat curries!
- Tip – I usually make this sabzi using two bunches or more of amaranth leaves and any other vegetable (using another vegetable also helps in increasing the quantity of the dish and makes it more nutritious). I store it in a box for next day’s lunch or dinner and sometimes even freeze for when I am lazy to cook. Also, it makes a yummy addition to omelettes or parathas!
