HERBS & LEAVES · 10
MALABAR SPINACH
The Succulent Climber
THE LEAF
Malabar spinach is spinach mostly by culinary association.
Botanically it is Basella alba, a tropical climbing vine belonging to Basellaceae.
Its leaves are thick, smooth, glossy and almost succulent.
Some cultivated forms develop reddish-purple stems.
Cooking reveals another defining characteristic: the leaves develop a soft, slightly mucilaginous texture.
NAMES ACROSS INDIA
English — Malabar Spinach / Indian Spinach / Vine Spinach
Hindi — Poi / Poi Saag
Bengali — Pui Shak
Odia — Poi Saaga
Telugu — Bachali Kura
Tamil — Pasalai Keerai / Kodi Pasalai
Malayalam — Valli Cheera
Kannada — Basale Soppu
Konkani — Valchi Bhaji
Marathi — Mayalu / Vel Bhaji
ORIGIN & JOURNEY
Basella alba is an Old World tropical plant long established across tropical Asia.
It thrives in heat and humidity.
It climbs rather than forming a low rosette.
Its leaves are fleshy rather than delicate.
The plant adapted to the climate.
Indian kitchens adapted the plant to the plate.
WHERE INDIA USES IT
Strong culinary identities across eastern, southern and western coastal India.
Bengal — Pui Shak
Odisha — Poi Saaga
Andhra Pradesh / Telangana — Bachali Kura
Karnataka — Basale Soppu
Konkan / western coast — regional vine-spinach preparations
IN THE KITCHEN
Malabar spinach can be:
cooked with dal
sautéed
combined with coconut
cooked with pulses
paired with vegetables
incorporated into regional curries
paired with seafood in some traditions
cooked with tender stems
Its natural mucilage adds body.
SIGNATURE PREPARATIONS
Bachali Kura Pappu
Bachali Kura Pulusu
Pui Shak
Poi Saaga
Basale Soppu preparations
Valchi Bhaji
FLAVOUR & AROMA
Relatively mild, earthy and vegetal.
Its culinary identity is driven as much by texture as flavour.
CULTURE & TRADITION
Malabar spinach demonstrates the relationship between climate and cuisine.
Traditional cuisines are partly answers to:
What grows?
What survives the monsoon?
What tolerates heat?
What continues producing food?
THE CODEX NOTE
"Malabar spinach teaches a useful lesson: never judge an Indian vegetable by its English name."
It isn't really spinach.
It doesn't grow like spinach.
It doesn't behave like spinach.
India already had better names:
Pui.
Poi.
Bachali.
Basale.
Valli Cheera.
Valchi.