What’s in a name? Well, a name can make you confuse some time I guess…one thing and many names. My recent post about Amaranth on Instagram left me feeling unsure about what to call our own Lal Shak in English. Should I refer to it as Amaranth or Red Spinach? Thankfully, this article helped clarify my confusion. I want to thank my dear readers and friends for sharing facts and asking the right questions. I truly appreciate your help. 🙂

Lal Shak Bhaja was a staple in our Kolkata household, like in many Bengali homes. I grew up eating it, and my mom used to prepare it in various ways. However, my favorite is the stir-fry with coconut. A typical Bengali meal often begins with a stir-fried or boiled bitter vegetable, such as bitter gourd or fried neem leaves. This is followed by a stir-fry of any seasonal leafy vegetable, typically accompanied by a dollop of Kasundi. Among these leafy side dishes, Lal Shak Bhaja is the most popular. The recipe is straightforward to cook, requiring simple ingredients, yet it tastes amazing whenever served with steamed rice. If you’ve not cooked Lal Shak this way, you must try it now.

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Narkel die Lal Shak Bhaja/Stir fried Red Spinach with Coconut

In this dish, coconut adds an interesting texture to the regular Lal shak bhaja. When served with steamed rice and kasundi the taste becomes unforgettable.

Course Starters

Cuisine Bengali

Keyword gluten-free

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Servings 3 People

Author Chandrima

Ingredients

• 400g- Lal Shak/Red Spinach
• 1- Whole dry red chilli
• ¼ tsp- Turmeric powder
• 2- Green chillies (cut into halves)
• ¼ cup- Fresh grated coconut
• Salt to taste
• 1½  tbsp- Mustard oil

Instructions

1. Chop lal shak roughly, removing the root parts from the ends of the stems. Avoid including the thick stems when chopping. While preparing it for cooking, focus on chopping the leafy parts of the lal shak. As you chop, place the chopped lal shak in a strainer.

2. After chopping, rinse the shak under running water thoroughly to remove all dirt. Set the strainer aside and let the excess water drain from the shak.

3. Heat mustard oil in a deep frying pan/kadai, and temper with dry red chilli.

4. Next, add the chopped lal shak, green chillies, turmeric powder, and salt. Mix, cover, and cook over medium heat until the natural juices that are released during the cooking evaporate completely. This may take 10-12 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

5. Add the grated coconut, mix, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl.

6. Serve hot with steamed rice, enjoy!