3 min readNew DelhiAug 12, 2023 10:25 AM IST
First published on: Aug 11, 2023 at 09:10 AM IST
Spinach is one of the most nutrient-dense leafy green vegetables a person can eat. While we all know about the commonly available spinach or palak, do you know about Malabar spinach? It is a leaf vegetable that is not a true spinach, but rather a climbing vine. But amusingly it has the same taste as that of spinach, said registered dietitian Garima Goyal. “Other famous names for this leafy green are basella, vine spinach, red vine spinach, creeping spinach, and ceylon spinach,” said Goyal.
Malabar spinach helps prevent degeneration of bones (osteoporosis) and iron deficiency (anaemia). “The appreciable amount of calcium in this green vegetable makes it very desirable to get healthy bones and teeth as both have them have their matrix made with calcium salts,” Goyal said.
According to Dr Ushakiran Sisodia, registered dietician and clinical nutritionist, Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital, Mumbai, consuming the leaf juice can benefit fluid retention due to its diuretic action. “It also reduces cardiac load,” said Dr Sisodia.
Celebrity nutritionist Munmun Ganeriwal also took to Instagram to share about Mayalu or Malabar spinach which is a monsoon green. “Because of its magical benefits, it is one of the best natural solutions for all digestive ailments, great for heart health, rich in phytochemicals, vitamin A, iron, magnesium, and many more vitamins and minerals,” said Ganeriwal.
Malabar spinach is also more rich in vitamin C than regular spinach. “The leaves are a good source of vitamins A and C, calcium, potassium, and iron, with many other vitamins and minerals in lower quantities. Even it is a good source of 1.5 times more carotene than kale,” said Dr Sisodia.
It aids in digestion too (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)
It can be found in home gardens and in markets with the savoy ones preferred for use because they look and taste better, last longer, and have less oxalic acid (which can interfere with the utilisation of calcium or magnesium in the diet) than smooth leaf types, added Dr Sisodia. However, semi-savoy types have lightly crinkled leaves.
How to have it?
You can cook it the same way as you do for spinach making a saag of it, suggested Goyal. Malabar spinach can be used raw, in salads, or as a stand-alone vegetable. You can also use it like spinach in soups and stews,” said Goyal.
“It can be even mixed in any atta and made into thepla or bhakri,” said Dr Sisodia.
How much Malabar spinach can one have?
A daily serving of Malabar spinach is advisable in the season, Goyal said.
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Here's what to know about this green leafy vegetable which is actually a climbing vine (representative) (Source: Wikimedia Commons) 
It aids in digestion too (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)
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