Mayaluchi Paatal Bhaaji… Maharashtrian-style….. Sweet, spicy and tangy yogurt-based sauce, with nutrient-laden, fresh Mayalu (Ma-yaa-loo) greens.
Ladle it, liberally…… on top of steaming hot rice, with a bit of Ghee (clarified butter)… Inhale the aroma that wafts toward you and dig in! Simple and comforting, this easy-to-make dish absolutely hits the spot and will surely lift your spirits…. Yumm!
Mayalu… Basella alba…. aka Malabar spinach, Pui, Poi, Alugbati….
Never heard of Mayalu? Perhaps you know it by another name… Malabar spinach, Vine spinach, Ceylon spinach, Pui, Poi, Alugbati (Alukbati, Lukbati), Saan Choy, Mong toi, etc. Mayalu (Basella alba), native to the Indian subcontinent, grows as a perennial vine in many tropical parts of the world.
To be honest, I had actually never even heard of it until I saw it, several years ago, in an Indian grocery store in the US. I found the name displayed, Malabar Spinach/Poi, rather curious, because it did not resemble spinach at all! As I looked closely, the beautiful heart-shaped leaves, some of them quite large, seemed distinctly succulent… as I said, quite unlike spinach! And then I also saw some tiny berry-like clusters scattered on the thick, fleshy stems of the vine.
Intrigued, I loitered nearby for a few minutes, debating whether I should pick some up….. Then I thought, Oh well, why not… and grabbed a bagful.
Mayalu Greens – nutrient-rich!
After I did some research, I found out that Mayalu’s nutrient profile is pretty impressive. It seems to be much more nutrient-dense than most common leafy greens. In fact, it boasts more of just about every nutrient compared to spinach, kale, chard, etc.
Vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, fiber…. Mayalu has it in spades! Its high soluble fiber content makes it particularly good for your heart as well as your digestive system. So…. plenty of good reasons to start consuming this interesting leafy green on a regular basis.
What to do with Mayalu?
So… what to do with this bunch I had picked up on a whim? The ideas had started swirling in my head even as I headed home. I thought I’d first try something simple… maybe make it like one of my favorite Maharashtrian-style spinach dishes.
“Taakaatli Paatal Bhaaji” – is a thick and creamy sauce-like dish made with spinach and yogurt, thickened with Besan (chickpea flour). “Taakaatli” (‘Taa’ – as well as the middle ‘t’ in the word, is pronounced with a soft ‘t’ sound, similar to the ‘th’ in ‘think’) refers to the ingredient “Taak”. In Marathi, ‘Taak’ refers to buttermilk, and is also used to describe the milk-like mixture obtained by blending yogurt with water. So, it essentially means a Bhaaji (vegetable) dish that has been made with Taak.
A tasty and widely popular dish in Maharashtra, I had shared my recipe for this dish pretty soon after I started this blog. I called it “Spinach in Kadhi”, rather than the traditional Marathi name for it… How come? Because…. to many folks, Kadhi, which is also made from yogurt and Besan, is an instantly recognizable name. If you’re wondering how to find this recipe….. No worries – I have included the link for it, along with the links for a few other recipes, a little further down in this narrative.
So… I thought I might try just an easy swap for starters: use Mayalu greens instead of spinach, and make Mayaluchi Paatal Bhaaji. As a straightforward adaptation, I thought there was good chance it would turn out well.
Prepping the Mayalu
So…. I started prepping the Mayalu bunch I had brought home…. After washing thoroughly, to make sure there was no grit or dirt left, I spread it all out on a large kitchen towel to dry out a little. Then I plucked the leaves from the stems and stacked them, using the towel to dab any remaining water droplets.
As I chopped the leaves, I noticed they oozed a sticky liquid. Aha! That was the soluble fiber I had read about – it reminded me of what happens with Okra (Bhindi). I gathered up the chopped leaves into a pile and set them aside while I tackled the stems next….. Oh Yeah… I really hate tossing anything that might be edible… and nutritious too!
I first tested the thicker stems with my knife to see if they were too fibrous and/or woody. Interestingly, even some of the thick stems were not really too tough/stringy/woody once I peeled them. Also, I didn’t really have to peel the thinner stems at all – they were quite tender. Soon, I had another pile – the sliced-up stems from my stash of Mayalu.
Pre-cook Mayalu stems separately
With the Mayalu leaves and stems already prepped, it was time to cook! I knew, from past experience with other greens, that the stems would probably take longer to cook than the leaves. I also wanted to add peanuts to my Paatal Bhaaji – for their nuttiness as well as their protein. So I decided to pre-cook the stems and peanuts in the pressure cooker, while I prepared the remaining ingredients. What to do if you don’t have a pressure cooker? No worries, check out my Recipe Notes – I have given alternate cooking directions there.
I used the ‘pot-in-pot’ cooking method to cook the stems and peanuts with a bit of water. This is essentially like pressure-steaming – you place the food to be cooked in a small bowl on a trivet/rack inside the main pressure cooker pot, which has been filled with about 2 cups of water. This water – outside the food container – generates the steam needed for the pressure to build up. I like using this method, because it lets me easily control the amount of water the food cooks in.
I set the timer for 5 min on my Instant Pot cooker. When it was done, I waited for the pressure to release naturally, to allow the cooking to continue for a bit longer as the pressure slowly dropped to normal.
Why cook Mayalu leaves separately from stems?
You might wonder, perhaps, why I decided to cook the stems and leaves separately…. Why not also throw in the leaves while pressure-cooking the stems and peanuts?
Simple answer: I wanted to cook the leaves for the shortest time possible. Why? Because a prolonged cooking time is the biggest enemy of many nutrients – especially Vitamin C. However, not all nutrients are absorbed well from raw vegetables – short cooking helps to break down the structure of the cells, which releases various other important nutrients. So… we need to strike a balance!
I had decided I would add the chopped leaves at the very end of the cooking process – maybe in the last 3-4 minutes. This short cooking time would minimize loss of heat-labile nutrients, And…. It would actually improve the absorption of other phytonutrients, such as beta-carotene, lutein, calcium, iron, etc., which these Mayalu leaves are especially rich in!
So… This strategy perfectly suits my goal: to minimize the heat-related nutrient-loss from this vegetable, while also enhancing the bioavailability of several other vital nutrients.
Prep the rest of the tasks for making Paatal Bhaaji
While waiting for the stems and peanuts to get cooked, I went about other tasks… I whisked the yogurt, added Besan and whisked again to make a smooth batter. Then I washed and towel-dried a few curry leaves, slit a fresh green chilli lengthwise, peeled and grated some ginger and set a pot of water to boil.
I planned to serve this dish with steaming hot rice and a simple tomato-onion salad (Koshimbir, Kachumber, Pico-de-Gallo). So I quickly got all of that prep-work done as well. Then I set my rice to cook, so it would be ready when the Mayaluchi Paatal Bhaaji was ready.
Finish making Mayaluchi Paatal Bhaaji
By this time, the pressure was fully released, and I was all set to finish making my Paatal Bhaaji. In a medium-large heavy-bottom saucepan, I made a simple Tadka with oil, mustard and cumin seeds, the slit green chilli, curry leaves and Hing (asoefetida). Then I added the cooked Mayalu stems and peanuts, salt and sugar.
After stir-frying for a few seconds, I added hot water from the pot in which I had set the water to boil. Then I lowered the temperature, stirred in the Besan-yogurt batter, added the chopped Mayalu leaves and turned the heat up again. I stirred it periodically to prevent anything from sticking and burning on the bottom. In just a few minutes, the mixture started to thicken and came to a boil.
I knew it would ‘spit!‘ and ‘splat!’ on my hands if I wasn’t attentive – all thick sauces tend to do that when heated! Of course I didn’t want that hot splatter landing on my hands! So…. I dropped the heat, covered the pan and let it simmer for a few minutes, undisturbed.
Sure enough, in less than 30 seconds, it went Splat! And then, a few seconds later, did it again! Thankfully, though, all of the splatter was on the inside of the lid, though – not on my hands! Phew!
Ta Da….! That was it…. My Mayaluchi Paatal Bhaaji was ready!
Star of the meal: Mayaluchi Paatal Bhaaji
And by this time, so was my rice… and Boy, was I ready to dig in! The heavenly aroma of Basmati (Baas-mut-hee) rice being cooked, intermingling with that of the Paatal Bhaaji I was watching over…. My stomach was growling in anticipation!
I ladled the steaming hot Paatal Bhaaji, just a little at first, on top of a small portion of the rice on my plate. After adding a bit of Ghee, I mixed it, blew on it a little so I wouldn’t burn my mouth, and popped a spoonful into my mouth. Yumm!
It had turned out just the way I’d hoped it would! The cooked stems and peanuts added a lovely texture and the chopped leaves were cooked just right. The consistency of the yogurt sauce was super-smooth and luscious – a little different from the Spinach Paatal Bhaaji that I had adapted to make this dish. My guess is that the extra smoothness might have happened because of the soluble fiber in the sticky sap that had oozed from the leaves and stems.
And Yess… You bet I’ve made it many, many times since then… And of course, I wanted to share my recipe for this wonderfully tasty and nutritious dish.
Mayalu – growing in the backyard!
As I was excitedly telling one of my friends about having made this dish, she just shrugged. She said her parents, who lived in India, had been growing this plant in their backyard for years…. and so did lots of their neighbors. When she was a child, her mother would often send her, or one of her siblings, to go outside and snip some off for her to cook with.
I told her I was thinking about trying to grow it in my backyard…. She gave me this funny look, so I asked her…. Apparently, it is a pretty robust and aggressive plant and can just ‘take-over’! So they had to keep snipping and cutting it back… and she got a little tired of how often it ended up on their dinner table!
So… Maybe I won’t try to grow it in my backyard, after all! I guess I can just pick it up from the grocery store when I decide to make it!
Other recipes with leafy greens
Do you like scrounging for interesting things to make with leafy greens? Maybe you’d like to try a few of the dishes that I’ve posted: soups, pasta, rice, flabreads, dips. And yes…. more are on the way!
- Spinach in Kadhi – the ‘Taakaatli Paatal Bhaji’ that inspired me to make Mayaluchi Paatal Bhaaji
- Barley soup with spinach and cabbage – in a tangy tomato broth
- Creamy Kale Chowder – a hearty soup, great as a warm and comforting one-dish meal
- Pea Shoots and Split Cowpeas Dal – stew-like texture with Chora Dal and tender pea-shoots
- Colorful Pasta with spinach, edamame, bell peppers, zucchini….
- Cheesy Tomatillo Rice with spinach, corn and Salsa Verde
- Kale Parathas – griddle-cooked flatbread, with Kale and green onions in the dough
- Radish Greens Raita – cool and refreshing yogurt-based side dish
- Spinach Jicama Dip – easy and tasty, always a hit
In all of these dishes, I’ve tried to be mindful about how to make them nutritious as well as tasty. As for difficulty and ease of prep …. Well, let’s just say that some of these you can make in about 20 min, some will take longer… And of course, the more you cook, the more skilled you become!
Check them out… make them… share them … and as always, a sincere request…. Please post reviews, star ratings… Many thanks!
Special Diets
This recipe for Mayaluchi Paatal Bhaaji is vegetarian, gluten-free and soy-free. You can make it vegan pretty easily: just use your preferred plant-based yogurt instead of the dairy-based kind. Do check the nutrient content of the plant-based yogurt you use – it can be significantly different from dairy yogurt, especially with regard to protein and calcium.
If you can’t have nuts, you could simply omit the peanuts. Perhaps you could use pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds instead of peanuts – these will add nuttiness and protein.
If you’ve never yet had Mayalu in any form, perhaps you should try it… Why ever not? Maybe you can start with this dish…. After all, it’s pretty easy to make… it’s warm and comforting and Yess…. With a nutrient profile that is pretty darned good, it is most certainly good for you too!
Make it… share it… Enjoy it by itself as a luscious and creamy soup…. or ladle it on steaming hot rice…. or scoop it up with a piece of your favorite flatbread. Mmmmm!
Do leave a review and star rating…. Thanks a bunch!
Enjoy!
Mayaluchi Paatal Bhaaji – Comforting and Easy to Make
Equipment
- Pressure cooker preferred for cooking stems If not available, see Recipe Notes for alternate cooking directions
- Small stainless steel bowls that fit inside pressure cooker for pot-in-pot cooking in pressure cooker; see Recipe Notes for alternate cooking directions
- Heavy bottom medium/large saucepan non-stick coated or un-coated stainless steel: do NOT use un-coated aluminum pans – these will react with the acidic yogurt used in the recipe.
- Electric Blender if using coarse Besan or if using firm tofu for vegan recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Mayalu leaves – rinsed and towel-dried, chopped – loosely packed – about 130g from about 1/2 lb bunch; aka Malabar spinach, Poi, Pui, Ceylon spinach, Mong toi, etc.
- 3/4 cup Mayalu stems – sliced across, 1/8 in / 2-3 mm thick – about 100g from about 1/2 lb bunch; aka Malabar spinach, Poi, Pui, Ceylon spinach, Mong toi, etc.; see directions for how to prep thick stems.
- 1/4 cup Raw peanuts – optional if raw peanuts not available, OK to use roasted; Omit for nut-free; or add 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 2/3 cup Yogurt – whole milk preferred, but any kind OK For vegan – use your preferred vegan yogurt
- 3 tbsp Besan – fine (coarse texture is not suitable) Chickpea / Garbanzo flour – check texture to ensure it is finely ground, not coarse; see Recipe Notes for how to use coarse-textured Besan such as Ladoo Besan .
- 3/8 tsp Salt also adjust later as per preference
- 1 tsp Sugar also adjust later as per preference
- 2 tsp Ghee (clarified butter) for making it Vegan – use a neutral oil you like; see Recipe Notes for details
- 1/4 tsp Mustard seeds Black/brown seeds preferred; use the small-sized seeds, if available
- 1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1/4 tsp Fennel Seeds
- 1/2 whole Green Chillies – medium Serrano pepper – sliced lengthwise any fresh chili pepper is fine – adjust as per spiciness preferred
- 1/8 tsp Hing – Asoefetida – (optional) if not available, OK to omit
- 1/8 tsp Turmeric – optional It's up to you; adding turmeric will give the dish a distinctly yellow hue.
- 6-7 leaves Curry leaves – washed, towel-dried and hand-torn – optional if not available, omit or use dried curry leaves
- 1/ 2 tsp Ginger – grated if not available, add 1/8 tsp dried ginger powder
- 2 cups Water use as needed: it needs to be hot when using in the recipe, so set it to boil in a pot or kettle
Instructions
Soak the peanuts (if using)
- Measure 1/4 cup raw peanuts into a small bowl. Add a little water, swish it around and pour off the water.Then add fresh 1/4 cup water and set aside to soak while you prep the Mayalu greens.
Prep the greens
- Wash the greens thoroughly: check carefully for residual and or hidden grit/dirt; drain in a colander, then spread on a towel to remove excess water. Dry thoroughly by wiping with the towel as needed.
- Pluck the leaves from the stems: the juice released while doing this is a bit sticky/slimy.That's OK – this juice is full of soluble fiber, which your body needs!
- Chop the leaves: stack 5-6 leaves and slice into ribbons – about 1/8 inch wide;
- Then turn the cutting board 90 degrees, and cut across the ribbons to chop. Repeat with the remaining leaves.
- Examine the stems: cut away and discard portions of the stems that are thick, tough and/or woody or fibrous. For stems that are thick but still tender (slice with a knife to check – they might be a bit crunchy, but still easy to slice through), use a paring knife to peel away the "skin" (see the picture). For stems that are thin and tender, there's no need to peel.Bunch the stems together and slice – about 1/8 inch / 2-3 mm thick
Pressure cook the Mayalu stems and peanuts
- Check the peanuts: they should be soaked and ready to cook by now – there will still be a little liquid left on the bottom- leave it in – don't throw it away !
- Find a bowl that fits inside the main pressure cooker pot – be sure you can remove the hot bowl later with sturdy tongs. The tongs shown in the picture is a common tool in most Indian kitchens. If you don't have one, perhaps you should get it – it is extremely useful!
- Prepare the pressure cooker for pot-in-pot cooking: place a short rack/trivet inside the main pot; add 1 1/2 -2 cups of water – the water should not be above the level of the rack/trivet.Transfer the peanut-bowl into the insert container for pot-in-pot cooking; then arrange the stems around it.Place this container on the rack/trivet inside the pressure cooker. Close the lid and pressure cook for 5 min at full pressure: For Instant Pot: Set the timer for 5 min For manual stove-top pressure cookers: Start timing after full pressure is reached! (the first 'whistle', or a persistent Hiss): after 5 min at full pressure, turn the heat off and move the cooker away from the hot stove.Allow the pressure cooker to release pressure normally: do not force release the pressure: the food continues to cook while pressure slowly returns to normal- this will probably take about 10-12 min. If pressure is still not fully released by this time, it's OK to force release the remaining pressure.
Prep the remaining ingredients
- Wash, peel and grate ginger. Wash and towel-dry curry leaves, if using. Set a pot of water to boil: about 2 cups water
Prepare the Besan-Yogurt batter – for Vegan-version, See Recipe Notes
- While the pressure is doing its thing, prepare the Besan-Yogurt batterMeasure 2/3 cup yogurt into a small-medium mixing bowl: add 3 tbsp Besan
- Beat/whisk until smooth – break up any lumps that might remain, by pressing them against the sides of the bowl with the back of a sturdy spoon
Make the Paatal Bhaaji
- Open the lid and remove the insert container with the cooked peanuts and Mayalu stems.
- Heat a medium heavy-bottom saucepan on medium heat. Add mustard seeds and watch for them to first change color and then begin to sizzle pop. Add 1/2 tsp Ghee, cover immediately and turn the heat down. The seeds will quickly pop and splatter on the inside of the cover.Now add the remaining Ghee, cumin seeds and fennel seeds. They will sizzle immediately.
- Add The sliced green chilli pepper and Hing (asoefetida). Also add curry leaves, if using
- Add the cooked peanuts.
- Add the cooked Mayalu stems and stir.
- Add 1 cup hot water, grated ginger, salt and sugar; stir and bring the mixture to a boil
- Turn the heat off, then pour in the Besan-Yogurt batter while stirring to distribute evenly. Add 1/2 cup hot water to the bowl in which you made the Besan-Yogurt mixture – swirl to collect the residual batter left in the bowl and add this rinse-water to the saucepan with the Bhaaji.
- Stir to mix evenly. Turn heat on again and heat the mixture on medium heat.
- Add the chopped Mayalu leaves.
- Stir to distribute, and continue to cook on medium heat.
- Soon you will see the mixture begin to thicken – about 3-4 minutes.Add the remaining 1/2 cup of hot water and continue to cook on medium heat.
- Keep stirring to prevent sticking on the bottom. The mixture continues to thicken as it cooks. After it begins to boil, lower the heat, cover and and simmer for 3-4 min. It will probably 'spit' and 'splat' a few times, as the steam bubbles burst!That's it! It's ready to serve!
- Serve steaming hot Mayaluchi Paatal Bhaaji with hot rice and Ghee, accompanied by a salad, such as Tomato-Onion Koshimbir (Kachumber, Pico de Gallo), maybe some Papad, a spicy pickle…. You could also serve this Paatal Bhaaji with your favorite flatbread. Break off a piece of your flatbread, scoop up some Paatal Bhaaji with it and pop it into your mouth!Or maybe you just want to have it by itself, as a bowl of warm and comforting soup!Enjoy!
Notes
For making this recipe Vegan:
- Replace the Ghee with one of the following:
- Peanut oil
- Canola Oil
- I do NOT recommend using Extra Virgin Olive Oil : the flavors don’t go well together
- Replace the Yogurt with one of the following: note that you might need to adjust the tartness at the end by adding lime/lemon juice or citric acid: the dish is supposed to be mildly sour and slightly sweet.
- 2/3 cup Plant-based yogurt of your choice
- 2/3 cup silken tofu + 1 tbsp lime/lemon juice
- 2/3 cup silken tofu + 1/4 tsp citric acid
- if using firm tofu:
- blend 1/2 up tofu with 2 tbsp water, along with 1 tbsp lime/lemon juice (or 1/4 tsp citric acid)
- it might best to use a blender to get a smooth texture when using firm tofu
- blend 1/2 up tofu with 2 tbsp water, along with 1 tbsp lime/lemon juice (or 1/4 tsp citric acid)
No pressure cooker avaialble?
No worries, you can cook the stems and peanuts on the stove-top, right after you finish making the Tadka in the saucepan.- After making the Tadka with the Ghee (and seeds, etc.), and before adding water:
- add the soaked peanuts and stir-fry on low heat for 1-2 minutes
- then add the cut-up stems, cover and simmer on low heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring once or twice to make cure that nothing is sticking and burning at the bottom. If it starts to stick, splash about 1 tbsp hot water and continue to cook
- pull out a peanut and a couple of stem pieces : blow on them to cool a bit – now do a bite-test:
- when you bite into the peanut or stem piece, does it still have a raw taste?
- If so, splash about 1 tbsp water, stir, cover and cook for another 3-5 min.
- Continue with the directions in the main recipe to finish making the Paatal Bhaaji.
“Fine” textured Besan not available?
Check the texture of Besan: it should feel very smooth – similar to Corn Starch or All-Purpose Flour. If the Besan feels coarse and/or grainy, the texture of the final dish will not be smooth and creamy. No worries, though – it’s a relatively easy fix. Follow one of the two methods described below. Method A:- Sift the coarse Besan through a fine mesh strainer/sifter – use the finest mesh you have
- Note: do NOT use a double-layered-mesh – it will be very hard to remove any coarse material trapped between the 2 layers of mesh!)
- The coarser particles will be retained on the top of the mesh as the finer flour goes through the mesh.
- Test the texture of the sifted Besan to ensure that is “fine” and not grainy any more.
- Transfer the coarser particles from the strainer to a dry grinder (coffee grinder/spice grinder), grind briefly and sift again.
- For any coarse material that still remains, simply mix it back into the rest of your stock of Besan.
- Now measure the sifted, fine-textured Besan and use as directed in the recipe.
- In a small bowl, mix the 1/4 cup Besan with the yogurt and 1/2 cup water – set aside for 8-10 min.
- Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend on low-medium speed until smooth – check between your fingers to test smoothness.
- Transfer the blended mixture to the bowl you used for mixing the Besan with yogurt.
- Rinse the blender jar with 1/2 cup water and add this rinse water to the bowl with the blended mixture.
- Use this smooth mixture as directed in the main recipe instructions.
- Add this blended Besan-Yogurt mixture after adding the cooked peanuts and Mayalu stems :
- do NOT add the 1 cup water as described, since it has already been added to the Besan-Yogurt mixture
- Continue with the rest of the directions as described.
- Add this blended Besan-Yogurt mixture after adding the cooked peanuts and Mayalu stems :
Storing Leftovers:
Store leftover Patal Bhaaji in the refrigerator or freezer. Refrigerator: Transfer leftovers to a lidded glass/ceramic container- Use within 2-3 days
- Reheat gently, with stirring, till it comes to a boil.
- Only reheat the amount that will be consumed. Repeated heating and re-refrigerating is not recommended
- Serve hot.
- Good for 3-4 weeks, possibly longer
- Thaw on the counter for 15-20 min – remove the lid for faster thawing;
- Only thaw the amount that will be consumed. Repeated thawing and re-freezing is not recommended
- Heat gently, with stirring, till it comes to a boil.
- Serve hot.
Awesome recipe
I have this plant growing in a pot on my kitchen window sill.
I cook it like dal Palak or the Karnataka style….or even Palak paneer!
Will try your patalbhaji next 🥰
Thanks, Meghana! Hope you lie the Paatal Bhaaji too!
Does this really grow in a pot in your window sill?! Wow! Maybe I WILL try growing it then ! 🙂 My Mom never made anything with this so no childhood memories…. I know folks use it like spinach, so I’ve done some of that (Dal Palak, Parathas, even spicy Zunnka) over the years. I’ll post some of those recipes going forward …
I loved the Patal Bhaaji and had the leftovers like a soup the next day!
havn’t had this veg in ages, I will definitely make it the way you have explained so nicely, as usual, also because I like spinach made in this way 👍
Hope you like it, Padmaja! I love the spinach Taakaatli Paaatal Bhaaji too, that’s why I thought of making this dish with Mayalu.