Today something staple curry from the regions of my root. This typical dark purple shaded leaves are most common there during winter season. And we love it in all forms of curry. Every household would have a small backyard growing few of such veggies and this amaranth leaves are most popular to be found in the backyard. The tender amaranth leaves are cooked straight from the backyard in to something delicious. It’s tender, not fibrous and cooks in a jiffy. And this amaranth leaves lentils curry cooks in no time. I mean you can count the time needed to cook the leaves. Because it’s quick and fast like that.
Here in UAE, when I buy amaranth leaves, cleaning and chopping it finely takes some time otherwise it’s all very quick. Now after writing a paragraph, I am quite in dilemma as whether to call it as veggie ? or Greens? Because these leaves are purple in color which doesn’t fall in to the category of “GREENS” right. So let me call it VEGGIE. Is it right? You too aren’t sure about this? Ok. Ok. Let’s both agree on the term “veggie”.
At the end I would like to give few tips to cook amaranth leaves. As this veggie is bland in taste, the tamarind, salt and spice should be appropriate in quantity to bring out the taste. The sambar powder adds flavor to the curry. I love amaranth leaves lentils curry rather than it’s counter part coconut version. The thick, creamy curry with chunks of amaranth leaves and stem tastes too delicious with hot steaming rice.
Amaranth leaves lentils curry | Padipe Koddel
Ingredients
- Red amaranth leaves- 2 big bunch
- Pigeon pea lentils- 1/2 cup
- Tamarind- Small lemon sized
- Turmeric leaves- 1/2 tsp
- Salt- 2 tsp
- Powdered jaggery- 2 tsp
- Green chillies- 2 nos.
- Sambar powder- 3.5 tsp
Instructions
Preparation
- Pressure cook the pigeon pea lentils with enough water till it is mushy. I have cooked it for 3 whistles and in simmer for 5 minutes.
- Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of water for about 15 minutes. Extract it's juice and discard the residue.
Method
- Finally chop the red amaranth leaves, you can use the thin stems too. I have chopped the stems in to 1" long pieces.
- Take these chopped leaves and stem in a cooking vessel, add 1/2 cup of water and cook in medium flame.
- Add turmeric powder, tamarind juice and cook it till the leaves turn soft.
- Next add salt, jaggery and continue cooking.
- Include slit green chillies and sambar powder too. You can adjust consistency by adding water.
- Finally include cooked lentils and bring it to nice boil.
- Gorgeous red amaranth leaves lentil curry is ready to serve with steamed rice.
Notes
- The veggie cooks very fast, so make sure it doesn't turn mushy.
- Discard the stem if it is fibrous and matured.
- The consistency of this curry shouldn't be running. So adjust water accordingly.
