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Kalmi Shaak Bhaji | Stir Fried Water Spinach

A light, nutritious, yet tasty Indian side dish made with water spinach and very few commonly available spices. It goes perfectly with piping hot rice and dal.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Course: Side Dish , Lunch
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch kalmi shak/water Spinach young & tender
  • 6-7 chopped garlic cloves
  • 1 dry red chili broken
  • ½ teaspoon panch phodan/phoran (five Bengali spice mix) or use nigella seeds
  • 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
  • 1 tablespoon mustard oil
  • salt to taste

Instructions

For the First Method
    Cup of Yum
  1. Wash kalmi shak properly in running water and drain excess water.
  2. Finely chop the shak and transfer it into a pan.
  3. Add salt and cook uncovered over the medium flame until the extra moisture evaporates or becomes dry. Stir in between.
  4. Heat mustard oil in another pan. Add panch phodan and broken dry red chili to the hot oil. let the panch phodan splutter.
  5. Add the chopped garlic, followed by poppy seeds. Stir till garlic turns golden brown.
  6. Add cooked shak. Stir for some seconds and remove from the flame.
  7. Kalmi shak is ready to serve.
For the Second Method
  1. Wash kalmi shak properly in running water and drain excess water.
  2. Finely chop the shak and set aside.
  3. Heat mustard oil in a pan. Add panch phodan and broken dry red chili to the hot oil, allow the panch phodan to splutter.
  4. Once done add chopped garlic, followed by poppy seeds. Stir till garlic turns golden brown.
  5. Add shak and salt.
  6. Keep the heat on medium to low and let it cook until the extra moisture evaporates. Stir in between.
  7. Remove from flame and serve hot or warm with your choice of meal.

Notes

  • Adjust the red chili as per your taste.
  • In the first process, you just have to give the cooked shak a temper/tadka/chhonk.
  • In both processes, cook the shak uncovered and do and be sure not to overcook the shak. The greens must have that crunch left.