Thota Kura Vepudu | Red Amaranth Greens Stir-Fry with garlic and peanuts. Here is a healthy recipe for Thota Kura vepudu. The greens stir fry made with red Amaranthus greens, garlic and peanuts.
Amaranthus greens usually comes in two varieties. The green one and the red one. This recipe works with both. The stems of the Amaranthus greens is perfectly edible and delicious. No need to remove them. If the greens are very mature and if the stem is very thick, only then remove the bottom part of the stem as they will be very fibrous. Else, you can use the whole stem and the leaves. If its a young green, both the leaves and the stems will be very tender. You can just chop the stems along with the leaves and use it in the recipe.
Here is a tip for beginners – To wash the greens, submerge the greens in lot of water and leave it for two to three minutes. Any sand, dust particles etc.. will settle at the bottom. Soaking will also get rid of some of the pesticide residue if any. You do not want to drain the water. When you drain, the sand will come back again to the greens. The best way is to pick your greens from the water and transfer it to a colander or a plate. If the greens are filled with lot of sand, wash them two times. If you are preparing a lot of greens, do it in batches.
No need to completely get rid of the water from the greens. Little moisture is perfectly ok. Just chop them along with the stems and the leaves and everything. Red Amaranthus is loaded with anthocyanins, a powerful anti-oxidant and also helps to reduce inflammation in the body. Its rich in potassium and fiber too. Its our own super food if you may call it that.
Here are the things you can buy online for making this recipe
Granite Stone Kadhai with Lid Deep Frying Pan https://amzn.to/3GCMAnz
Here is the video of how to make Thotakura Vepudu | Red Amaranth Greens Stir-Fry with garlic and peanuts
Thotakura Vepudu | Red Amaranth Greens Stir-Fry with Garlic and Peanuts
Here is a healthy recipe for thotakura vepudu. The greens stir fry made with red amaranthus greens, garlic and peanuts.
- Total Time: 20m
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
Ingredients
For the Podi / Spice Powder
5 cloves garlic
2 dried red chillies
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
1/2 teaspoon salt
Other Ingredients
1 tablespoon ground nut oil
1 teaspoon chana dal
1 teaspoon urad dal
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 dried red chillies
2 sprigs of curry leaves
1/8th teaspoon asafoetida
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1.5 cups onions, sliced
250 grams red or green amaranth leaves
Instructions
First, lets get the spice powder ready for the stir-fry. Take a small chutney grinding jar and add in the garlic. No need to peel the garlic. The garlic peel adds a nice texture and flavour to this recipe. Use about 5 cloves of garlic. If you are using Indian country garlic which are very small in size, you may need to use a little bit extra. To the jar, add in the dried red chillies. I have just added two. If you want a fiery stir-fry, you can always add more. But two is good for me and my family. Add in about 1/4 cup of roasted peanuts. These are roasted peanuts with the skin removed. Add in the salt. Grind this in the mixie using pulse mode. Pulse several times and stop when the powder is coarse. Its important that the powder is ground to a coarse texture. The coarse peanuts adds a nice texture to the stir fry. Once the powder is ready, set aside.
Now, we shall make the stir fry.
Heat ground nut oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot, add in the chana dal and the urad dal. Saute on a low flame for a minute so the lentils get roasted well. Add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, a couple of dried red chillies and the curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds. Let the mustard seeds crackle and the curry leaves crisp up. Add in a pinch of asafoetida and the turmeric powder. Saute for a few seconds. Add in the sliced onions. Saute for 3-4 minutes till the onions are soft.
Add in the chopped greens. Mix well to combine. No need to add any water for the greens to cook. The moisture from the greens will be enough. Adding water will make the greens soggy. So do not add any water. Cover the pan with a lid and cook the greens for 3-4 minutes till the greens are completely wilted and soft.
Once the greens are cooked, add in the spice powder. After adding the spice powder, mix everything well to combine. Cook for just a minute for the flavours to penetrate onto the greens. Our red Amaranthus stir-fry, simple yet delicious Thota Kura vepudu is ready.
- Prep Time: 5m
- Cook Time: 15m
Keywords: Thotakura Vepudu
Really like the look of this recipe, I know its going to taste great! Would this recipe work with other greens do you think, spinach or finely chopped kale for example?
Totally. It will work with most greens. I will avoid spinach as it may become soggy.
Hi what is amaranth in tamil
Thandu Keerai
Thank you