Valchya Bhajjiche Tonak | Malabar Spinach Curry

Malabar Spinach curry or Basale soppu curry or vaalchi bhajiche tonak is a Malabar spinach recipe. This is a traditional Goan Malabar spinach recipe and is a healthy recipe. This mildly spiced curry is made by cooking Malabar spinach leaves in a coconut-based curry known as tonak.

Malabar spinach is also known as Basale soppu in Karnataka and vaalchi bhaji in Goa. This green leafy vegetable can be cooked in two methods – curry method like how it is cooked in this recipe or in a dry method known as Malabar spinach sabji.

Malabar Spinach or Vaalchi bhaji grows as a long creeper. Its leaves are rich in antioxidants and provides numerous health benefits. Since it is rich in iron, it can be used to treat people suffering from anemia. The high vitamin A content can be used to maintain a healthy eyesight.

Other Goan tonak recipes:

• Colocasia Leaves Masala/Goan terre tonak
• Whole brown lentils curry/ Masoor tonak
• Mushroom tonak
• Black eyed peas/Chawli tonak

Ingredients to make Goan style vaalchya bhajiche tonak:

• Malabar spinach: Use fresh Malabar spinach leaves which are separated from vine. Chop them into small pieces/
• Vegetables: Onion and tomato are the two vegetables used in this Basale soppu recipe.
• Coconut: Freshly grated coconut is used in this delicious Goan traditional recipe.
• Garlic: Garlic is added to provide flavour and taste to the recipe.
• Spices: Different spices like dry Kashmiri red chilies, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, cloves and marble sized ball of tamarind is added to this Basale soppu recipe.
• Jaggery: Little bit of jaggery is added to make this recipe in this authentic way.

How to make delicious vaalchi bhaji recipe?

• Add the chopped Malabar spinach leaves, chopped tomato and 2 tablespoon chopped onion to a pressure cooker. Add 1 cup water and pressure cook up to 3 – 4 whistles or till it is cooked. Let the pressure get released naturally.
• Heat a kadai and add 2 tablespoon oil. When oil gets heated, add remaining chopped onion and fry till it turns pinkish.
• Add garlic and fry till the raw smell of garlic goes away.
• Add the spices – red chilies, cloves, peppercorns and coriander seeds and fry for 2 minutes.
• Next add grated coconut and fry till the grated coconut turns brownish.
• Switch off the gas and let this cool down.
• After cooling, add the grated coconut and onion mixture from kadai to a grinder. Add tamarind and ½ cup water and grind to a thin gravy.
• Pour gravy in a kadai and simmer for 2 minutes. Pour the pressure-cooked vegetables in the kadai along with some water.
• Add grated jaggery and salt to taste and simmer for 10 minutes.

Tips to make Goan style Malabar spinach tonak:

• If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can boil the vegetables in a utensil on stove top.
• The gravy should be very thin. You can adjust the water content as per your choice.

How to make no onion no garlic vaalchya bhajiche tonak:

To make no onion no garlic Malabar spinach curry, do not add onion and garlic wile making this recipe. Follow the other steps and add all the spices mentioned. The recipe will taste delicious even without onion garlic.

You might be interested in Colocasia leaves curry recipe. which is cooked in a similar way.

Nowadays people are attracted towards gourmet food and junk food and have started losing interest in healthy traditional recipes. Talk to today’s generation about this Malabar spinach curry and most of them would not know anything about it.

My mom taught me this recipe over skype. I am sharing with you all a nutritious and healthy Malabar spinach curry Goan recipe. You can serve it with rice or with rotis or bread.

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5 from 4 votes

Malabar Spinach Curry

Malabar Spinach curry or Basale soppu curry or vaalchi bhajiche tonak is a Malabar spinach recipe. This is a traditional Goan Malabar spinach recipe and is a healthy recipe. This mildly spiced curry is made by cooking Malabar spinach leaves in a coconut-based curry known as tonak.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Course: Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine: Goan, Indian

Servings: 4 People

Author: Raksha Kamat

Ingredients

• 1 bunch Malabar spinach leaves separated from vine and finely chopped
• 2 onions finely chopped
• 1 tomato chopped
• 6 tablespoon coconut grated
• 5 garlic pods chopped
• 3 Kashmiri red chilies
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 4 black peppercorns
• 2 cloves
• 1 marble sized ball tamarind
• 1 tablespoon jaggery grated
• 2 tablespoon oil
• To taste salt

Instructions

• Add the chopped Basale leaves, chopped tomato and 2 tablespoon chopped onion to a pressure cooker. Add 1 cup water and pressure cook it up to 3 – 4 whistles or till it is cooked. Let the pressure get released naturally.
• Meanwhile, heat a kadai and add 2 tablespoon oil.
• When oil gets heated, add remaining chopped onion and fry till it turns pinkish.
• Add garlic and fry till the raw smell of garlic goes away.
• Add the spices – red chilies, cloves, peppercorns and coriander seeds and fry for 2 minutes.
• Next add grated coconut and fry till the grated coconut turns brownish.
• Switch off the gas and let this cool down.
• After cooling, add the grated coconut and onion mixture from kadai to a grinder. Add tamarind and ½ cup water and grind to a thin gravy.
• Now the gravy is ready.
• The kadai will be empty. Use the same kadai and pour the gravy in it.
• Simmer for 2 minutes and then pour the pressure-cooked vegetables in the kadai along with some water.
• Add grated jaggery and salt to taste and simmer for 10 minutes.

Notes

• If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can boil the vegetables in a utensil on stove top.
• The gravy should be very thin. You can adjust the water content as per your choice.

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Note: This post was published on 17 Aug 2016 and is republished.