Laal Shaag (Red Spinach) with Shrimp
Laal Shaag (Red Spinach) with Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 bunch laal shaag (red spinach) about 12 oz.
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1 cup sliced onions
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 lb. shrimp cut into small pieces
- 3 green chilies halved
For the Tarka/Tempering:
- 4-5 cloves garlic sliced thinly
- 2 tbsp oil
Instructions
- Trim the laal shaag. Cut off about 1-2 inches of the roots and discard. Cut off any other parts of the stems that aren't tender. Chop the remaining stems into 1 inch pieces. Then coarsely chop up the leaves.
- Wash the laal shaag. Submerge the cut up laal shaag in water to allow dirt to settle at the bottom. Transfer the shaag to a colander and rinse several times to ensure it's dirt-free. Let drain.
- In a wide frying pan big enough to hold all the laal shaag, heat oil and add the onions and spices (salt, turmeric, red chili powder, and coriander powder).
- When the onions have softened, add the shrimp and let them start to turn pink.
- Now add the laal shaag and stir well. You can cook uncovered, or to speed things up, cover and let it cook through first and then cook uncovered until dry.
- Add green chilies. Keep stir frying uncovered until all the liquid has evaporated.
For the Tarka/Tempering:
- In a separate frying pan, heat oil and fry the sliced garlic until golden. Then pour the garlic oil over the laal shaag. Stir once more.
- Enjoy with white rice!
What is Laal Shaag?
Laal shaag is a type of spinach that is distinct for its “red” hue. Red is in quotes because it’s more magenta if you ask me. The leaves turn darker when cooked, but the stems retain their beautiful color. Laal shaag bhaji is a super popular and classic dish of Bangladesh. For the most part, it’s prepared as a stir fry. It could be cooked on its own, but I love the combination of laal shaag and shrimp.
Where can you find laal shaag, you ask? I have to say, it’s not easy to get your hands on it. For one, you will not find laal shaag in American supermarkets. For better luck, head to a Bangladeshi supermarket that carries native Bangladeshi vegetables. If you do manage to find some laal shaag, be sure to give this recipe a try.
The Steps, in a Nutshell
The trickiest part of cooking laal shaag is the prep portion. You want to make sure that you are getting rid of any tough stems, because they will not be edible even after being cooked. The thin stems close to the leaves are tender and delicious though, so please don’t discard those! Then, as with any leafy vegetable, you want to make sure they are washed very well to get rid of any dirt/debris.
The cooking part is very simple. Nothing groundbreaking here. Simply stir fry all the ingredients together. Make sure most of the moisture that will get released dries up though. Laal shaag tastes best when fairly dry. The last part is the tarka/tempering, which in Bengali is called bagar. Doing a garlic bagar at the end gives the laal shaag a beautiful aroma.
And that’s it!
Ps. There is only one true way of enjoying this dish–and that’s with white rice.
Recipe Video
And Finally…
If you recreate this recipe, be sure to leave a star rating and comment below. And tag me on Instagram!