• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Spoons Of Flavor
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Home » Lunch » Kalmi shak Bhaja | Stir Fried Water Spinach

Kalmi shak Bhaja | Stir Fried Water Spinach

April 11, 2018 by Geetanjali 15 Comments

0shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Jump to Recipe

Kalmi Shak Bhaja/ Kolmi shak/Stir-fried Water Spinach is 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.

Kalmi Shak Bhaja

In the childhood days, this is the particular shak I used to insist my mother to make in summer. Since summer is the season when young tender water spinach shoots arrive in the market and they taste awesome.  

Kalmi shak/water spinach/river spinach is popular across the world. And often considered as the healthiest leafy vegetable packed with nutrients. Such as iron, phosphorus, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, and fibers. Its water content is very high and is good for people with constipation and liver problem.   It can naturally grow on moist soil or in water and is cheap and easily available.  

The kalmi shak itself has a nice, crunchy taste. Hence there is no need to add various spices to it. It is just a good side dish goes well with plain rice and daal or any other curry you prefer.  

I will share two ways of making this kalmi shak bhaja with the same ingredients. And both are easy and delicious. There is a slight variation of taste. So do try both of the processes. And let me know which one suits you. Here I have used panch phodan. But if it is not available to you. You can also add nigella seeds/kalonji/black cumin seeds instead.  

More vegetable side dishes:

  • Kundru Aloo Bhaji
  • Aloo Capsicum
  • Aloo Green Peas

If you try this recipe, please leave a feedback and rating. You can also tag me @spoonofflavor on Instagram.

Kalmi Shak Bhaja Recipe
Print Recipe

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 Time10 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Total Time20 mins
Course Lunch, Sides
Cuisine Indian
Keyword Kalmi shak bhaja, Stir fried water spinach
Author Geetanjali

INGREDIENTS ( 1 CUP = 250 ML )

  • 1 bunch kalmi shak/water Spinach young & tender
  • 6-7 chopped garlic cloves
  • 1 dry red chili broken
  • 1/2 tsp panch phodan/phoran (five Bengali spice mix) or use nigella seeds
  • 1 tsp poppy seeds
  • 1 tbsp mustard oil
  • salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

For the First Method

  • Wash kalmi shak properly in running water and drain excess water.
  • Finely chop the shak and transfer it into a pan.
  • Add salt and cook uncovered over the medium flame until the extra moisture evaporates or becomes dry. Stir in between.
  • Heat mustard oil in another pan. Add panch phodan and broken dry red chili to the hot oil. let the panch phodan splutter.
  • Add the chopped garlic, followed by poppy seeds. Stir till garlic turns golden brown.
  • Add cooked shak. Stir for some seconds and remove from the flame.
  • Kalmi shak is ready to serve.

For the Second Method

  • Wash kalmi shak properly in running water and drain excess water.
  • Finely chop the shak and set aside.
  • Heat mustard oil in a pan. Add panch phodan and broken dry red chili to the hot oil, allow the panch phodan to splutter.
  • Once done add chopped garlic, followed by poppy seeds. Stir till garlic turns golden brown.
  • Add shak and salt.
  • Keep the heat on medium to low and let it cook until the extra moisture evaporates. Stir in between.
  • 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.

Filed Under: Indian Side dishes, Lunch

Previous Post: « Simple Aloo Gobi Bhaji | Aloo Gobi Recipe
Next Post: Simple Sweet Corn Chaat Recipe | Sweet Corn Chaat »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mildly Indian

    October 5, 2018 at 10:52 am

    Wonderful to know its Indian name. I always followed water spinach and though it was available easily in Malaysia used to avoid it as the only thing i knew to make out of it was fritters. Now have a better option. Thankyou.

    Reply
  2. Shobha

    October 5, 2018 at 10:52 am

    I am a great fan of shaaks .. so nutritious. Love to eat them with bhakri.

    Reply
  3. My Culinary Journey

    October 5, 2018 at 10:52 am

    This recipe sounds quite similar to the dish we Sindhi's make known as Aisi palak,i.e.dry spincah.
    Love this. Yours look delicious.

    Reply
  4. Code2cook

    October 6, 2018 at 5:55 am

    fantastic share Gitanjali. Must say this is super healthy and so easy to make. I loved this kalmi shak bhaja recipe. Bookmarking I am so tempted to cook it.

    Reply
  5. Sujata Roy

    October 6, 2018 at 5:55 am

    Kalmi shak bhaja is quite popular in Bengali household. Your post made me nostalgic. I remember mom made Kalmi shak bhaja. Your looks so inviting. Great share.

    Reply
  6. Soma Mukherjee

    October 6, 2018 at 5:55 am

    My grandma used to make this saag whenever we used to visit her here in Bangalore we hardly get this variety of saag, you reminded me of those days loved your recipe.

    Reply
  7. Jagruti Dhanecha

    October 6, 2018 at 5:55 am

    Wish I can get hold of this bhaji here as my sunny boy loves any kind of greens. super recipe 🙂

    Reply
  8. jayashree

    October 6, 2018 at 11:10 am

    Lovely share, now I need to get this green vegetable, it is new to me. I need to find more info about it , thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  9. Archana Potdar

    October 6, 2018 at 11:10 am

    For me this is a new shak. Never heard of water spinach. I love the recipe can i try it with regular palak.

    Reply
  10. Malini Vivekananthan

    October 7, 2018 at 3:16 am

    One of my favorite stir fries. Instead poppy seeds, I used to add desiccated coconut at the end. Next time, will try adding poppy seeds. Greens are always good. 🙂

    Reply
  11. G.Pavani

    October 7, 2018 at 3:16 am

    My favourite fry. I can have this fry just like that with a bowl of rice. It is so tempting. Thanks for the recipe

    Reply
  12. firsttimercook

    October 7, 2018 at 3:16 am

    What a lovely share dear !!! Wanna grab right from screen …. All time fav saag variety is this

    Reply
  13. Poonam Bachhav

    October 7, 2018 at 3:16 am

    A new recipe, infact a new Vegetable to me. Will find out what f can get hold of this veggie here. Thanks for the share.

    Reply
  14. Nisha Ramesh

    October 7, 2018 at 4:23 pm

    I love greens and this looks amazing. Water spinach is new and ill try to find if I can get one here. Addition of sesame seeds is interesting.

    Reply
  15. Priya Srinivasan

    October 7, 2018 at 4:23 pm

    Spinach is our favorite and I make it atleast 3 or 4 times in a week! Stir fries like these are great combo with steaming hot rice and a
    Dollop of ghee! Hearty and healthy ❤️

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

HI THERE!

I am Geetanjali! I am so happy you dropped by! Welcome to Spoons Of Flavor, a website focused on simple, flavorful, easy-to-follow recipes using everyday ingredients. Learn More...

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING?

Popular Recipes

Easy Chicken Fry Recipe

How to make Chicken Fry at home | Chicken Fry

Grilled Potato Wedges

Indian Spiced Grilled Potato Wedges | Masala Grilled Potato Wedges

Chutney Stuffed Ragi Idli

Stuffed Ragi Idli | Chutney Stuffed Ragi Idli

Kaddu Kheer with Jaggery | Kaddu Ki Kheer

Kaddu Ki Kheer with Jaggery | Kaddu Kheer

Dhaba Style Aloo Matar

Aloo Matar Dhaba Style | Aloo Matar Gravy | Aloo Matar Curry

Dahi Murgh

Dahi Chicken Recipe| Dahi Murgh

Rajasthani Mirchi Vada Recipe

Rajasthani Stuffed Mirchi Vada | Mirchi Vada

Subscribe

JOIN THE SPOONS OF FLAVOR COMMUNITY!

Footer

LET’S GET SOCIAL!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

ABOUT | CONTACT | PRIVACY POLICY

Copyright © 2021 Spoons Of Flavor

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Email