Valchi Bhaji (Malabar Spinach or Buffalo Spinach)

Always a delight to lay hands on fresh and tender valchi bhaji in this part of the world. In India it is grown in home gardens and easily available. A very simple and easy way to cook is just steaming it with oil, garlic, chillies and onion and garnished with fresh coconut and hence referred to as “Tel Piyav”. Other variations of cooking this spinach is a curry with shrimp or with tur dal or black-eyed beans for a vegetarian version.

Thoroughly enjoyed the vegetable with a meal of steamed rice, raw mango curry and lady fish fry!!

Ingredients

• 1 Large Bunch Valchi Bhaji about 1 kg.
• 1 Onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 green chillies
• ¼ cup fresh coconut
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. coconut oil

Method

1. Clean the valchi bhaji.  Separate the leaves from the thick stems, the tender stems keep with the leaves.
2. Cut stems into large pieces, keep the leaves whole  and soak in salted water for 10 minutes to loosen dirt & kill insects if any. 
3. Drain, rinse in clean water and drain again. 
4. Chop the thick stems, tender stems and leaves into 1” pieces. 
5. Transfer the vegetable to a cooking pot.
6. Slice the onion, slit the green chillies and crush the garlic and add to the vegetable alongwith the salt and oil. 
7. Keep on medium flame and cook 10 minutes until stems are tender.
8. Not necessary to add water as the vegetable will leave water while cooking. 
9. Add the fresh coconut and cook 3 to 5 minutes. 
10. Serve hot. 
11. Makes a very healthy and satisfying addition to any main meal.