Laal Shaak Bhaja | লাল শাক ভাজা
This laal shaak bhaja is a Bengali stir-fried vegetable recipe made using red amaranth leaves, also known as laal shaak ("লাল শাক" ). Simple recipes like this saag bhaja give us easy-to-cook meals as they come together in a few minutes.
Servings 3 people
Ingredients
- Red Amaranth or Laal Shaak 1 bundle weighing a kilo.
- 2 tablespoons Mustard Oil
- ¼ tablespoon Mustard Seeds
- 1-2 Dry Red Chilies adjust to your spice tolerance
- 2-3 Cloves of Garlic
- ½ tablespoon Turmeric Powder
- ½ tablespoon Salt or to taste
- ½ tablespoon Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Kasundi optional
Instructions
- Step 1: Prep the laal shaak – Pluck the leaves and separate the younger stalks. They can be easily chopped up into this dish as they cook fast, like the leaves. Wash everything well 2-3 times to remove any dust or sand sticking to the leaves. Drain the water completely before chopping everything into smaller pieces.Red Amaranth or Laal Shaak
- Step 2: Heat the oil – Grab a medium-sized pan or kadai and heat mustard oil over medium flame. Once it’s hot (you’ll see it shimmer), toss in the mustard seeds, sliced garlic, and dry red chilies. Let them sizzle for 10-15 seconds2 tablespoons Mustard Oil, ¼ tablespoon Mustard Seeds, 1-2 Dry Red Chilies, 2-3 Cloves of Garlic
- Step 3: Cook the shaak – Add the chopped red amaranth leaves and stalks to the pan. Sprinkle in the turmeric powder, salt, and sugar, then give everything a good stir. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the stalks start to soften slightly. Cover the pan with a lid for faster cooking. Leafy green vegetables release a lot of moisture, so this allows cooking in their juice.½ tablespoon Turmeric Powder, ½ tablespoon Salt, ½ tablespoon Sugar
- Step 4: Adjust and finish - Once the laal shaak has fried and reduced in quantity, check for seasoning. Finish with some kasundi if you are a fan of the pungency. If you want to add some crunch, then top it with some fried kolai dal er bori or peanuts.1 tablespoon Kasundi