From veggie-loaded stir fries to comforting vegetable soups, this list of Malabar spinach recipes is the best way to use this versatile, Asian leafy green.
Are you curious about a vegetable you saw at your local Asian market and looking for Malabar spinach recipes to get inspiration on how to use it?
We’ve scoured the internet for Malabar spinach recipes that will tickle your imagination and delight your taste buds.
Malabar spinach is popular in South Asia and Southeast Asia since it is abundant and makes for an easy way to add a vegetable component to dishes.
While you CAN eat it raw, it’s sturdy like chard or kale.
The lovely red stems along the leaves does make for a striking presentation.
You can massage it with coconut oil first if you want to toss it in a salad.
But it’s GLORIOUS in sauteed dishes and stir fries—it holds up a little bit better than typical spinach, too.
You can have Malabar Spinach And Wild Mushrooms Stir-Fry for that fantastic blend of flavors and textures, Tomato and Malabar Spinach Quiche for a terrific way to have your vegetables in the morning, or Roasted Sweet Potato And Malabar Spinach Salad—sure to impress your brunch guests.
The possibilities are endless with this versatile vegetable.
#23 will be your new favorite way to start your day!
This yogurt-based blend of spices and spinach is often served cold during summer.
This is a quick and easy recipe to serve with some white rice.
If you don’t plan on finishing this off immediately, you can leave out the yogurt for less chance of it spoiling.
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, cumin seeds, grated coconut, red chilies, and ghee.
A sautéed Malabar spinach curry made more fragrant by the roasted sesame.
Make this with coconut oil to give it more flavor and a more Indian-inspired aroma.
You can leave out the coriander powder if you don’t like how it tastes.
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, sesame seeds, curry leaves, turmeric powder, and cilantro.
A hearty bowl of Malabar spinach, eggplant, and potatoes will leave you feeling satisfied.
It can be elevated with other vegetables, shrimp, fish, or anything else that you like.
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can add a fish head to the recipe for a deeper flavor.
(But shrimp is okay too. No need to be THAT adventurous.)
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, eggplant, potatoes, green chilies, and ghee.
A dish made out of Malabar spinach and garlic.
It doesn’t get any simpler than this.
You can make this dish on days when you feel a bit lazy.
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, garlic, soy sauce, and vegetable oil.
A dish that takes you on a trip to a simpler life in India.
Indian flavors that won’t leave you feeling overwhelmed.
You can quickly turn this dish into a soup just by adding more water.
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, garlic, red chilies, salt, and grated coconut.
A simple stir-fry that can be made in about 6 minutes.
The wild mushrooms elevate the Malabar spinach with their texture and flavor.
Serve with some steaming white rice for a quick and delicious meal!
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, wild mushrooms, grapeseed oil, soy sauce, and ginger.
A quick and easy side dish that you can make alongside your other Indian entrees.
This dish can also be eaten with white rice or a nice warm naan.
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, turmeric, tamarind juice, Bengal gram, and tomatoes.
A bowl of spinach, shrimp, and simple but flavorful broth.
The spinach gives it a satisfying depth in texture that rounds out the soup.
A great soup to enjoy when you feel a bit under the weather.
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, chicken bullion, mushroom bullion, and garlic.
A traditional curry that has fewer spices but is just as good.
Give this recipe a try for a more straightforward take on curry.
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, jaggery, tamarind, grated coconut, and red chilies.
Do you often worry about dishes sitting out and getting cold?
You won’t have to worry about that with this dish.
A bowl of creamy greens that’s best served at room temperature.
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, curds, curry leaves, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds.
A new twist on your usual chutney.
The Malabar spinach goes well with the flavors of tamarind and jaggery to give you a heavenly sauce that you can serve with your Indian breakfast.
Serve this delicious sauce with your other Indian dishes.
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, jaggery, tamarind, chili, and coconut oil.
A clear soup with all the right flavors.
The ingredients meld together into a spoonful of flavor you just can’t get enough of.
A great soup that’s easy to make just put the ingredients in the pot, let it boil, and it’s done.
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, ground pork, dried anchovies, salted duck egg, and garlic.
You’d think that peanut butter doesn’t belong in soups, but you may be surprised.
A recipe straight from the African continent!
This recipe cheats a bit using peanut butter instead of ground nuts, but it is just as delicious.
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, chicken, tomatoes, peanut butter, and okra.
14. Shawarma Greens
If you’re craving a taste of shawarma, then this dish is for you!
A serving of greens infused with shawarma flavors and served with a dollop of yogurt.
Lots of fall flavors, including star anise, so this one is a treat for the senses all around.
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, shawarma spices, star anise, nutmeg, and lemon juice.
A savory pie crust filled with egg custard, Malabar spinach, tomatoes, and shredded cheese.
This is an excellent early-morning meal if you want something light.
Make this for brunch on your slower weekends.
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, pie crust, tomatoes, eggs, and shredded cheddar cheese.
A colorful plate of fresh ingredients that’s a pleasure to munch on.
The Malabar spinach, nectarines, almonds, field greens, and cucumbers make a beautiful salad bouquet!
A lovely dish best served on an equally lovely day!
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, nectarines, almonds, balsamic vinegar, and honey.
There’s something about a bowl of warm soup of meat and vegetables that warms the soul.
A quick and easy soup that’s as delicious as it is simple.
Recreate this dish for a bowl full of that wonderful broth.
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, ground beef, chicken bullion, fish sauce, and garlic.
A hearty vegetable stew made with Malabar spinach and moong dal.
The moong dal gives this dish its hearty nature and excellent texture.
A bowl full of rich soup flavored just right.
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, moong dal, chilies, turmeric, and cumin.
A quick and easy vegetable dish that can be made in about 10 minutes.
The coconut is ground up with the spices to make a coarse spice mixture before being mixed in with the Malabar spinach.
This dish is best enjoyed with some hot rice.
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, grated coconut, cumin seeds, red and green chilies, and turmeric.
An appetizing curry recipe that appeals to the senses.
The orange color, the rich sauce, the texture of the vegetables, and the invigorating aroma.
It all just leaves you wanting more.
This recipe is best served with some rice, rice dumplings, or roti.
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, unripe papaya, turmeric, jaggery, and dry beans.
The contrasting textures make this dish a delightful mouthful.
The soft texture of the sweet potato contrasts beautifully with the crisp spinach, all tossed in the delicious dressing.
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, sweet potatoes, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and pumpkin seeds.
A great way to have fish and vegetables.
The fish is incorporated into the Malabar spinach and coats well.
You will surely get a lot of fish and vegetables in every bite.
Remember this dish when you don’t know what to do with your leftover fish.
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, shredded fish, garam masala, urad dal, and cumin powder.
A mishmash of prawns and vegetables that will fill your tummy with tasty goodness.
The Malabar spinach rounds out the rich taste of the prawns, potatoes, and squash.
Great as a midday meal for an extra pick-me-up!
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, prawns, potatoes, pumpkin, and Bengali five spices powder.
A bowl of coconut-based gravy coats the Malabar spinach and papaya.
The contrasting flavors make for an exciting mouthful.
A tasty companion for your rice, roti, or bread.
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, raw papaya, grated coconut, tamarind paste, and split pigeon peas.
A tasty curry that complements the prawns and vegetables it contains.
Prawns swimming in a sea of curry, Malabar spinach, pumpkin, and potato.
A welcome addition to your Indian food spread.
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, prawns, garam masala, cubed pumpkin, and potato.
Fried patties of Malabar spinach.
A delightful snack that’s also good for you!
This crunchy dish makes for a great appetizer.
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, rice flour, turmeric powder, curd, and bengal gram flour.
A dish straight from the shores of the Philippine Archipelago.
This recipe is a refreshing side salad that’s great with any main dish.
The apple cider vinegar gives the Malabar spinach a lovely tart that makes it a delight for your palate.
It also pairs well with just some plain white rice.
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, tomatoes, honey, olive oil, and apple cider vinegar.
A hearty and tasty vegetable dish straight from Mangalore.
This quick and easy recipe takes just 10 minutes of cooking then it’s ready to be served.
Remember not to burn the spices so the dish doesn’t turn bitter.
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, black eyed peas, turmeric powder, tamarind, and grated coconut.
This curry dish is famous in South Canara.
A feast for both the eyes and the palate.
Remember to serve this with lots of sliced toasted garlic to give it that distinct texture and aroma.
Ingredients include: Malabar spinach, tamarind extract, coconut, cumin seeds, and jaggery.
The bottom line
We have reached the end of the line for our culinary journey.
Thank you for exploring the different possible uses of Malabar spinach with us.
So the next time you’re at the Asian market, and you find yourself staring at some Malabar Spinach, Indian spinach, Ceylon spinach, vine spinach, climbing spinach, or whatever they end up calling it, go ahead and pick it up, you already know what to do!
Be sure to come back to this list when you get your hands on some Malabar spinach.
More Spinach Recipes
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- Shrimp And Spinach Recipes
- Spinach Pasta Recipes
- Baby Spinach Recipes
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- How To Reheat Spinach Dip
- Frozen Spinach Recipes
- How To Store Spinach
- Classic Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Super Delightful Spinach Basil Pesto
- Cheesy Creamed Spinach Recipe
- Chicken Spinach Wraps
- How To Sauté Spinach
29 Best Malabar Spinach Recipes
From veggie-loaded salads to comforting vegetable soups, this list of Malabar spinach recipes is the best way to use up this versatile, leafy green.
Ingredients
- Malabar Spinach Tambli
- Sautéed Malabar Spinach With Roasted Sesame
- Bengali Style Malabar Spinach
- Stir Fried Malabar Spinach
- Malabar Spinach Stir Fry (Vali Upakari)
- Malabar Spinach And Wild Mushroom Stir-fry
- Malabar Spinach Dal
- Malabar Spinach Soup
- Malabar Spinach Curry (Valchya Bhajjiche Tonak)
- Malabar Spinach With Curds
- Malabar Spinach Chutney
- Malabar Spinach Soup (Chan Choy Tong)
- African Groundnut Stew (Made With Peanut Butter)
- Shawarma Greens
- Tomato And Malabar Spinach Quiche
- Spinach Nectarine Salad
- Vietnamese Spinach And Beef Soup
- Malabar Spinach With Moong Dal
- Malabar Spinach (Basale Thoran)
- Malabar Spinach Curry
- Roasted Sweet Potato And Malabar Spinach Salad
- Malabar Spinach With Fish Stir Fry
- Malabar Spinach Mishmash With Prawns
- Malabar Spinach And Raw Papaya Ambat
- Malabar Spinach And Prawn Curry
- Malabar Spinach Pakora
- Malabar Spinach Salad (Ensaladang Alugbati)
- Malabar Spinach With Black Eyed Beans
- Malabar Spinach Sambar
Instructions
- Take a look at our Malabar Spinach Recipes list!
- Add your own flair to make it a new dish.
- Woohoo! You created a home-cooked meal!
- Love this list? Be sure to share it on your socials!