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Padipe Saasmi (Utupi-style Red Amaranth Leaf Curry)

Padipe Saasmi (Utupi-style Red Amaranth Leaf Curry) is a traditional Indian recipe (from the Udupi district) for a vegan curry of red amaranth leaves in a freshly-prepared coconut base finished with tempering. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Malaysian version of: Utupi-style Red Amaranth Leaf Curry (Padipe Saasmi).

prep time

15 minutes

cook time

20 minutes

Total Time:

35 minutes

Serves:

4

Rating:

Tags : CurrySpice RecipesIndian Recipes

Amaranths are amazing plants and I have several trials growing in my garden. They are hardy, many do well with little or no water and the leaves are often high in protein. They are edible from root to flower spike. Some are grown specifically for grain others for their leaves. My favourites are the red amaranths as they are spectacular garden plants as well as being so useful in cooking. There are two main species of what’s termed red amaranth. Common red amaranth is Amaranthus cruentus. This is the plant commonly referred to as ‘red anmaranth’. The flowers are bright red, but the leaves tend to be green sometimes with red veins. Typically this is grown for its seed, a pseudograin. Amaranths are dicotyledonous plants and are not grasses, thus their seeds are not botanically grains. The second red Amaranth is the Red-leaf amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor). This species has especially nutritious foliage that tastes like slightly tangy spinach and it is typically grown for its leaves. It’s the leaves of Amaranthus tricolor that are used in this Udupi (also spelled Udipi and also known as Odipu), named after a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. The amaranth leaves are prepared in a coconut-tamarind gravy.

Ingredients:

12 sprig Red Amaranth Leaves, (you can also use spinach)
75g (1 cup) Fresh coconut meat, grated
4 Dry Red Chillies
2 Green Chillies
1 tsp Mustard seeds (Rai/ Kadugu)
1 tsp Cumin seeds (Jeera)
1 marble-sized ball of Tamarind
Salt, to taste
1 ½ tsp Oil

For the tempering:
1 tsp Oil
1 tsp yellow Mustard seeds (Rai/Kadugu)
2 Dry Red Chillies
1 tsp White Urad Dal (Split, peeled, black lentils)
1 sprig Curry leaves

Method:

Pluck the amaranth leaves (along with the more tender stems). Wash well in a colander with running water. Drain the leaves then chop them finely.

Soak then tamarind in 120ml (1/2 cup) water for about 30 minutes. Grind together the coconut, dry red chillies, green chillies, mustard seeds and cumin seeds into a thick and smooth paste (either in a mortar or food processor).

Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan. Add the ground spice paste and cook until the raw smell is gone (about 2 minutes). Stir in the chopped spinach/amaranth leaves and fry for about 5 to 7 minutes. Season to taste with salt then add the tamarind extract or juice to the curry.

Heat oil in a tadka pan (or use a flame-proof ladle). Add the mustard seeds and allow it to splutter (about 90 seconds) then add the dry red chillies, urad dal and curry leaves.

Once urad dal begin to turn golden brown remove the pan from heat and pour it over the spinach curry. Serve immediately.

Serve the Padipe Saasmi with Mixed Vegetable Sambar and Steamed Rice for a weekday meal.