Stir Fried Water Spinach with Shrimp/ Kalmi Shak Bhaja Chingri Diye

Water spinach with shrimp is easy and delicious that goes well with plain rice. I grew up eating water spinach /kalmishak a lot either cooked with minced onion, garlic or sometimes small shrimps were added. Both were delicious. Lucky to find this greens in Asian super markets. All it takes to make this tasty dish is simple pantry ingredients and just half an hour. I often make water spinach as well with mixed vegetable that goes great with both rice and roti.

 Never throw away stems. Chop stems and leaves separately. Cook stems first for a while then add leaves. Recipe is very simple to follow.

Ingredients~

(US customary units)

2 lb. water spinach, washed and chopped

1/2 lb. small shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 small potato, cut into small pieces

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 tsp minced garlic

1/3 tsp turmeric powder

1/3 tsp salt or to taste

A pinch of hot chili powder

1/4 tsp. sugar(optional)

1/4 tsp onion seeds

3-4 tbsp oil

3-4 slightly slit green chilies

Method~
Heat oil in large heavy bottomed pan and saute shrimp with little salt, turmeric and a pinch of hot chili powder just until they turn slightly pink. Do not cook all the way through. Remove from the pan.  Temper onion seeds in the same oil and saute potato for 3-4 minutes ,then add in onion and garlic and continue saute for a minute, Add in chopped stems first and stir fry for 3-4 minutes, then add in chopped leaves, salt, sugar, turmeric and slit chilies. Stir well and cook for 5 minutes covering for 3-4 minutes on low heat. Add in sauteed shrimp and stir and cook until shrimp is cooked. Taste and adjust seasonings. Enjoy with rice!

Without shrimps:

Temper onion seeds and stir fry onion garlic for a minute, then add in stems. Cook until stems are half cooked follwoed by shopped water spinach with spices. Cover and cook on low heat for a few  minutes then stir fry until dry enough. Adjust and taste the seasonings.  

 

Happy Cooking!