Malabar spinach

Basella alba

leaf

Thick, fleshy leaves of a climbing plant from South Asia, Malabar spinach, which releases a mucilage when cooked; in soups, stir-fries or curries. It provides mucilage, lutein and nitrates.

Origin

Tropical Asia

Season (United States)

June to October

Preparation

Leaves and tender stems are eaten: raw in salads when young, or two to three minutes in a soup or stir-fry, where they slightly thicken the liquid. It grows at ground level and catches the splashes of watering: washing it leaf by leaf, in plenty of water, beats a quick rinse of the whole bunch.

Molecules

Mucilages · Lutein and zeaxanthin · Vegetable nitrates

Did you know?

There is a green form and a red one, with a purple stem; it is also called Ceylon spinach, or alugbati in the Philippines.