Best Spinach Alternative: Malabar Spinach / Basella Leaf / Poi Ka Saag Recipe

[@oreogiri]

Hello from Bangalore. Malabar spinach is extensively grown in the Malabar regions of western India.( Western Ghats). Hence the name. While mentioning the South Indian names of Baesella, I must point out that it’s closest is in Kannada, and we call it Basale or Basale soppu. Perhaps thebotanical name is derived from this local name. Like many Kannadigas, I too grow Basale. It is so easy, that one can say once we plant a cutting, it grows by itself. More like a money plant, asking for so little, giving so much. And wherever it’s seeds fall it propagates. In fact it can be very invasive, if not checked. Like you have said in the latter part of your very informative video, I make all dishes where “regular” spinach is used, substituting with Malabar spinach. Dal Palak, Palak paneer, alu Palak ...apart from these I mix this with other greens and make traditional “soppu saru” and “ mosaru saru (more kolambu in Tamil). Further I have made bajjis and also Chinese style crackling spinach with Basale. I have made pumpkin Palak similar and raw banana Palak to alu Palak. Here I use the Palak loosely, meaning Malabar spinach. The leaves are thick and slimy. But the sliminess goes if we fry the leaves in a tsp of oil and then use it. Malabar spinach is very cooling and we mostly eat it in summer. It is also known to alleviate mouth ulcers. I have not used mature stems in cooking so far. Thank you for showing how to use it.

[@munchandmull]

Excellent and touching response. Thanks a ton for this detailed comment. I will pin it because this will be very useful for our viewers Thanks once again 😊🙏🏼

[@oreogiri]

@@munchandmull 🙏🙂

[@PadmajaVavilala]

You can make butter milk grave like kadhi use this leaves and stem with adding mustard paste in the end.

[@briandacosta5913]

Thank you ma'am. Very informative video. In Goa, we call it Vale Bhaji (Valle Bhaji) in Konkani. Its used in soups out here in Goa

[@maineshop-t6p]

Thanks so much for all the info you gathered to share with us. Can't wait to try this. Looking forward to more malabar spinach recipes.

[@munchandmull]

Namaskaram @maineshop-t6p Sincerely appreciate your comments 😊🙏 I am glad you found the video useful. You may like to check out other videos on Munch and Mull. Also do consider subscribing to the channel for regular notifications of new video releases. Warm regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@spiritualmakarand6468]

Mam superb video. You are really adding values to our lives. The Poi saag has become very tasty. This week I am going to prepare this beautiful recipe. Love you mam.

[@munchandmull]

Thanks a ton, for this encouraging response. Do let me know your feedback after you make this recipe. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@spiritualmakarand6468]

Certainly Sujata mam. Your Amla preservation method really worked.

[@remyasubramanian4993]

Pasala keerai or Valli cheera or Basale soppu has a reddish tinge variety too which is what we have at our home.Thank you for this recipe which helps me cook and eat the stem as well!!

[@munchandmull]

Yes, there is the red stem variety too. We have mentioned it in the video. Nice to know that you are growing it. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@Ashi.g123]

I have that in my garden in nagaland ...it grows fast ... its leaves r a little thicker and it's tasty not bitter ...

[@munchandmull]

Vow! Nice to know that you get it at Nagaland too. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@thhhhhhhtttt2165]

Thanks for all the information. It was really required since i started to use this type of spinach recently..

[@munchandmull]

Glad you found this useful. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@sunitachandra7736]

Iif u like Malabar, try to find Ceylon spinach too, it's similar n milder

[@onetapgaming465]

I bought first time and i Wii cook from follow your recipe hope will good

[@munchandmull]

Great. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@ashwinip.r606]

Hi mam, I came across your channel recently. Liked the way you explain. Loved your tips.

[@munchandmull]

Thanks and welcome. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@madhurir3149]

Yess...it's really better than spinach....I grow this in my balcony....I use to do Sambar,chutney,rraita and just fry and add little salt and chilly powder it's very delicious ❤

[@munchandmull]

Thanks for your valuable inputs. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@Prisaya]

My malabar spinach is not growing, I put it in a pot ..

[@veenaprasad7718]

It is an all time favourite among GSB's of Mangalore. We call it Vaali and make a very tasty dish called Vaali ambat using tur dal and coconut with red chillies, tamarind paste and a simple seasoning of onion in coconut oil

[@munchandmull]

Thanks for sharing this interesting recipe. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@lisakashtan8922]

When I saw you taste it at the end I knew I had to try it! Great video ❤

[@munchandmull]

Thanks. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@geetaherald1416]

Very very beautifully explained.well done

[@munchandmull]

Thanks a ton. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@ashwinidillikar-shiledar222]

Hello madam I have been using the red stem species of Poi climber for making Dal. Does the red one have all those benefits which you mentioned in this video? You are doing a fantastic job by making such informative videos. Thank you so much 🙏🙏

[@munchandmull]

Yes. Red stem pui saag is also beneficial. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull.

[@dharsgreen650]

I am a Bengali I like this curry Thaanks munch and mull

[@munchandmull]

Thanks. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@umaarie5700]

Lovely. .. I love this malhar spinach. ..

[@busgeeth-ilemaurice6642]

Hello. Please if possible give the benefits for eating this spinach and recipes too. Thank you very much. Love your videos. 🙏

[@munchandmull]

Benefits of Malabar Spinach are discussed at length in this video. Please watch it again from the start. Also... I have discussed various ideas for using Malabar Spinach

[@JacintaRebello-jm9gm]

I grow it in my garden and cook it along with the stem. In the rains it grows very quickly. In manvlorean konkani we call it walcha bhaji.

[@munchandmull]

That's nice. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@real-4]

You truly have a green thumb dear...be blessed..

[@munchandmull]

The greens in my balcony are thanks to my hubby.☺️. It's his green thumb that's flourishing in our balcony garden. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@beenaramnarayan5216]

Hello ma'am thank you so much for sharing the health benefits of poi saag🙏🙏It looks so colourful & yummy 😋 😋 😋 What an amazing leaf. I have this growing in my pots but never bothered or gave it the respect it deserves. Will surely take care of it well henceforth 👍👍👍 Im going to try this recipe today

[@munchandmull]

So happy to hear this,Beena. Enjoy Pui saag. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@vijumagar2564]

Lady, what menure do you feed it with, that it has grown so lush? I am from Mangalore, we love Basale I hv tried growing in my small balcony please help me grow it lush like yours. Cowdung menure is best but I don't get it where I live. When i try to grow, instead of throwing up mote new leaves it gives v few leaves but mature black seeds.

[@munchandmull]

We use a combination of periodic addition of vermi compost, liquid bio inputs like EM or panchagavya (appropriately diluted) and compost.

[@satisht654]

In Karnataka it is called BASALE SOPPU .

[@munchandmull]

Thanks for sharing the kannada name. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@tech__drao6310]

Good info👍

[@munchandmull]

Glad it was helpful! Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@risalaahmed2470]

Hi, can you tell me which plant is in next to your malabar spinach plant?

[@munchandmull]

There are multiple plants there. The short plant will be Coleus ambonicus that we colloquially call Karpooravalli in Tamilnadu or Ova in North India. Next to it is Tree Spinach, a plant native to Africa. We are planning a video on each of these very soon 🙂

[@risalaahmed2470]

@@munchandmull Thank you for replying, I mean the one that look like papaya tree leaves. I want to know that because I see that plant in my city a lot, and I was wandering what are those plants.

[@FFGamer-zm5vt]

We mangalorean regularly use this. In every one's backyard you get this plant. We call this basale in kannada

[@munchandmull]

Thanks for sharing. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@VijayKumar-oc9qo]

Geography, botany ,history and cooking.

[@munchandmull]

Thanks. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@bernaignatius5795]

This is a very healthy food people are not aware and not giving importance it can be easily grown like the money plant

[@munchandmull]

Yes.True. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@lalima1549]

Will millets cause acne and pimples?? Which one is best in such cases??

[@savitharao2407]

In dakshina Kannada we eat both stem as well as leaves .non vegetarian are mixing dry fish while making curry.

[@munchandmull]

Good to know. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@ceciliacardoza9645]

We can prepare gravy with tuvar dal

[@munchandmull]

Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@AditiNath1234]

Great 👍 0:17

[@munchandmull]

Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull.

[@mohanshankar4020]

Andhra way is tamarind Pulp is added with jaggery to make it a bit gravy & is called bacchalla pulusu

[@munchandmull]

That sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@shailakhanna9347]

I hv the previlage of getting the plant everything season because the season automatically germinate,I hv both rubra and alba in my potsdam and leaves grow bigger than my palm I swear 😊

[@shailakhanna9347]

गूगल made some changes 😮 in the text ,pl understand

[@munchandmull]

Nice to know that you have both the varieties. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@manjeri2567]

We eat stam also we called it telugu bacchli kura

[@munchandmull]

That's nice. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@meenalpandit4204]

Its called Mayalu in Marathi Konkani.. we make pakodas too... And make the subji adding Sandge/shendgi

[@munchandmull]

Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@PadmajaVavilala]

There is another variety also it called cilone basale with less width and 4 to 5 inches long with purple flowers

[@munchandmull]

Thanks. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@radhikatrasi2064]

Basale or Mayalu in marathi. Waali bhajji. in konkani. It's an impt part of Saraswat community..Cuisine We use n make several variations with other veggies like gaurds.prawns to name a few We use all parts of the plant.

[@munchandmull]

Thanks for sharing. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@subratomashid6305]

We Bengalis know the maximum use of anything and we use it too. It is a different thing that others do not know this. We like it very much. I always have it in my kitchen garden too.

[@munchandmull]

That's nice. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@mohemedali4460]

Can we use raw leaf in salads

[@munchandmull]

Yes. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@balakumarvm531]

Simple Malabar Pasalai Soup:- 1) Take 10 or 15 healthy leaves. 2) Wash them well. 3) Put them in a hollow based tava...Add 300/350 ml of water...Add a moderate pinch of turmeric, a pinch of chilli powder,a pinch of pepper powder, a pinch of Zeeragam & finally a pinch of salt... 4) Boil in simmer flame,keep on turning the leaves until the leaves turn brownish green... 5) By now the soup is ready...You can use the souped leaves along with every morsel of any rice you consume... 5) Finally,you can drink the bland soup as your post lunch dessert.... 👆I am following this regiment almost every alternate day...

[@munchandmull]

Thanks for sharing this. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@balakumarvm531]

@@munchandmull 🙏😊

[@subratomashid6305]

इसे सूखे झींगे के साथ बनाएं बहुत अच्छा लगता है।

[@munchandmull]

Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@Anilkumar-ez3yh]

The slimy portion is very good.... It's soluble fibers very good... Don't wash them out...

[@munchandmull]

Thanks. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@yhbindu]

In Telugu its called Bachali kura, and there are 2 varieties in it. One with green stem called Thella bachali and another with purplish maroon stem called Erra Bachali.. The seeds of the maroon plant when squished give a dark purple color.. as kids we played a lot with the seeds pretending it was mehendi or that its blood and we are hurt 😀

[@munchandmull]

Thanks for this interesting sharing. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@Prisaya]

I brought a hibiscus plant from the nursery, and when I started planting it in the pot, I noticed that there were termites in the hibiscus roots and soil. I removed some of the soil to get rid of them, then planted the hibiscus in a 12-inch pot. However, a few termites remained inside. Pls help ,

[@munchandmull]

Wash the roots in water. Add some neem oil to water and keep the rooted plant for a hour in that water. Then replant in fresh pot with fresh soil and compost mixed in it. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@Prisaya]

@@munchandmull Thank you ❤️

[@phse6083]

A great video

[@munchandmull]

Thanks. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@evelinerego8897]

Mangaloreans too consume stems of Malabar Spinach along with its leaves

[@munchandmull]

Nice to hear that. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@basiliagonsalves6402]

We call it mayaloo in marathi. We eat stems with leaves and cook with chana daal.

[@munchandmull]

Yes,Mayaloo in Marathi. Thanks for sharing. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@laxmijoshi2469]

It is full of Folic Acid good for pregnent women

[@munchandmull]

Yes. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@shobharamgude2304]

This is mayalu.(मायाळू : Maharashtra) It's also known ' पोई /पुई... There is another type having dark pink /purple thin stems and a bit thin and comparitively small leaves. & if I'm not wrong, it's seeds अरे called 'वावडिंग ' in मराठी.

[@munchandmull]

Thanks for sharing. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@shobharamgude2304]

@@munchandmull my pleasure. 🤗🙏

[@npslajpatnagar4girls479]

How to get it's seeds

[@munchandmull]

Link for purchase of seeds and plant from Amazon has been shared in the video description. Sharing it below for your convenience... www.amazon.in/shop/munchandmull/list/311LL2XDP5ED5

[@geetasgloriousgardenandpet9863]

Lovely

[@munchandmull]

Thanks. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@lakshminirmala1341]

In telugu we will say "bachhali kura "

[@munchandmull]

Yes. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@basiliagonsalves6402]

We love to eat the pakoda

[@munchandmull]

That's nice. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@Prisaya]

My malabar spinach is not growing, only 6-7 inches long in 3 months .. I grow in a pot in my balcony.. pls give some tips to grow it..

[@munchandmull]

Add some organic content to soil to improve soil health. Vegetables peels, fruit peels etc. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@Prisaya]

@@munchandmull can I give orange peel water ?

[@krishnanandsavant6644]

Madam some amount of oxalic acid is there in spinach!? Please confirm, any good recipe.

[@sunitachandra7736]

Yes, blanch n remove if u eat leaves every day

[@munnancs]

These are called POI BHAJI in chhattisgarh.

[@munchandmull]

Thanks. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@hyacinthjarrett8637]

That plant is in the Caribbean where it is called Spinach. It's hardly eaten in Jamaica now. It's just there growing like weed even when it is easier to farm than Callao. Callao is mainly eaten while that Spanish is forgotten. Maybe only a few older people know about it. Younger people are unaware that it is easily grown and a valuable vegetable. Perhaps it's slimy nature turns off today's food providers.

[@munchandmull]

Thanks for sharing this information. Many such food species are disappearing from the diet today. Very important to preserve this knowledge. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@kasturimazumdar9231]

👌👌👌👌👌👌

[@munchandmull]

Thanks. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@lekharnaturalvlog4311]

❤from 🇦🇪🙂

[@munchandmull]

Thanks. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@cudupa60]

Mangalorian call it *Basale Soppu*

[@munchandmull]

Vow!!! Similar to the English name. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@santoshpassi7385]

We called it poi shaak

[@munchandmull]

Thanks for sharing. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@santoshpassi7385]

@@munchandmull 🙏

[@santhoshkumar-vd7jo]

I lived in four districts of Malabar for more than 50 years but have never seen this.

[@munchandmull]

Surprising. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull.

[@manjulanigadi720]

In kannada, its called Basale soppu

[@munchandmull]

Thanks for sharing the kannada name. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@savitham1560]

Basale is correct pronunciation Its not malabar spinach it's maximum used in South canara Mangalore Udupi area

[@munchandmull]

Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@ceciliacardoza9645]

In kannada it is called basselle sapu

[@munchandmull]

Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@smithaks6705]

Spinach Class Room

[@munchandmull]

Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@basiliagonsalves6402]

Difficult to maintain as pigeons eat them

[@munchandmull]

Pigeons and peacock population has risen. So causing a lot of wastage in agricultural fields too. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@sakshis100]

Ji ji pigeons not only eat agriculture edible plants but also my tulsi maa and bel partra plant as well its upseting they eat my mulberry plant and fruit which grow few in no. As its small plant in my flat...😢

[@narendrareddypalempnreddy4188]

😁😁😁

[@reetaparikh6499]

Not a ailable ingujrat never seen in vegetable market

[@munchandmull]

Surprising. It's popular in Maharashtra too. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@punam8061]

Easily available here in surat market.

[@paradesiaralan]

Red Variety has more benefits than this... "Kodi Pasalai"

[@munchandmull]

Yes you are correct. They is what is traditionally said. However, I find that the leafy content is more in the green variety than the one with red stem 🤔

[@paradesiaralan]

@@munchandmull it depends on how its grown.... if you grow in ground soil you will get more leaves in all

[@VijayAdhikary]

KHAL par aapke recipes ko dekh kar toh kisi ko bhi chef banne ka mann karega! *************************

[@munchandmull]

Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@ravvraj863]

What madam just to make "different" content you are going to mislead people? This is not Indian Spinach It is Basale from which the name originalted In infact No regional names call it anything close to the the regional name for spinach. Let me debunk all the lies in this video. 1. I am from south we eat the stem too. 2. The English name is Malabar spinach for the lack of a name has no resemblence in taste or texture to Spinach. 3. They have resemblence in taste or even when cooking it does not reduce like Spinach and has little more calories. If anyone replaces spinach in Paneer Palak with this they will get a rude shock to their palate. 4. All the Mineral and vitamins you mentioned exist in almost all vegetables. But to call it a nutritional replacement for Spinach is very wrong. Iron is very low while spinach is high. There is not Vitamin K Negligible lutein and not zeaxanthin. No Vitamin E. The rest of the nutrients are the same. Yes Basalle has some exclusive health benefits and has a unique tastes so it can never be a replacement to Spinach and I have established that it is not way close to the Spinach and has never been considered as such. It should be a part of balanced diet. It is high in Vitamin C almost 5 times more than Spinach. You can promote this relatively forgotten vegetable as its very difficult to grow commercially and people stopped using it(THIS IS A FACT THAT WILL MAKE SENSATIONAL CONTENT) it was grown in gutters and sewage as it grows very well there by non-farmers who used to sell it at the market. And promote its health benefits which even those who consume it don't know about. So There you deserve kudos for the research. But you don't have to simply make a false comparison to promote this vegetable. I apologize in advance if you get offended no offense intended I would have put this more politely if I could so sorry if its sounds very blunt. Its my limitation not my intention.

[@munchandmull]

Your response I can see is well intentioned. So thanks for the detailed rebuttal. Everything I have said is based on published research papers, so there is no false or incorrect info. Yes of course the taste is different, there is a sliminess not found in regular spinach, which I have specifically mentioned. But, one of the names for Basalle IS Indian Spinach, as is Malabar Spinach or Ceylon Spinach. Yes I am discovering that there is a practice of eating the stem in more parts of India other than West Bengal. But in Tamilnadu & Kerala only leaves are commonly eaten, not stem. And indeed I stay by my statement that we can use it to make some of the dishes I mentioned in place of Spinach. Yes, the texture will be slightly different but not bad in any way. But thanks for your comments. Regards Sujata

[@ravvraj863]

@@munchandmull I never said your information is wrong. It is infact very useful. I am only saying that Basale is not an alternative to spinach. I am sure you have all the nutrient profile of both the vegetables. As I mentioned the benefits of each are different. Also taste wise texture wise totally different. You can make Paneer Palak with Basale for example. Yes I also mentioned that the Modern Slang name for this is Spinach which is wrong it is from a different family. Just because ignorant modern people trying to give it a fancy english name call it Malabar or Cylon Spinach does not make it a spinach. They are wrong. based on that this is can't be called a spinach its a total different species with different nutritional profile with exclusive benefits and very different taste. I am just pointing out that you might have misled by wrong nonclementure. Its like there is no word for socks in Kannada.(as it is a relatively knew language became popular around the time of Tipu sultan who made it is official language of governence when parsi did not work which had replaced the earlier Language of Pali and Sanskrit that was the official language) So some modern Kannada linguistics started giving names for such word And they called Socks. Kaal-Cheele" Kaal means food And cheela means bag. You saying Basale is a substitute for spinach because someon is calling it malabar spinach. Is like saying Sock is a substitute for your grocery bag because is kannada it is called "leg bag" :-P. See you can stand by your stance. This is the problem with all influencers ego is too much and many don't want to admit they are wrong. I never expected any change I just thought I will call it out.

[@kalpanajournalist]

Not at all the Bengali way of cooking pui saag

[@munchandmull]

Will help if you can key in the Bengali way of cooking Pui saag. Regards Sujata from Munch and Mull

[@joycesultan8063]

Thank you.. Very clear instructions. Between the two spanich..in your opinion which taste better.. Tq.

[@redindianaztec6768]

Spin atche😂😂 pronounce properly madam