Chefs' Recipes

Helly Raichura's stir-fried warrigal greens and vegetables (shak bhaja)

Use any starchy vegetable in place of Kent pumpkin and Desiree potatoes to achieve the same intensely savoury profile of this aromatic side dish.

  • 20 mins preparation
  • 25 mins cooking
  • Serves 4 - 6
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Photo: Parker Blain
"Jute leaves would traditionally be used here but they're almost impossible to get in Australia and importing them would be against the local nature of Bengali cuisine," says Raichura. "I love the texture of warrigal greens but you can use spinach here too."

Ingredients

  • 300 gm Desiree potatoes, peeled, cut into rough 1cm pieces
  • 300 gm Kent pumpkin, peeled, seeds removed, cut into rough 2cm pieces
  • 1 tsp finely grated ginger
  • 1 long green chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • 2½ tbsp mustard oil
  • ½ tsp nigella seeds
  • 2 red chillies
  • ½ tsp caster sugar
  • 300 gm picked warrigal greens or baby spinach, stalks removed

Method

  • 1
    Place potato and pumpkin in a saucepan and fill three-quarters full with water. Place over high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until vegetables are three-quarters cooked (15-18 minutes). Drain and stand until ready to use.
  • 2
    Meanwhile, combine ginger, chilli and turmeric in a small bowl with ½ tbsp water.
  • 3
    Heat a large frying pan with mustard oil over medium-high heat. Add nigella seeds and cook for 30 seconds, then add ginger mixture, and cook until fragrant (1 minute). Add sugar and cook until starting to caramelise (30 seconds). Add potatoes and pumpkin, and cook, stirring until just cooked (4-6 minutes). Add warrigal greens and cook until wilted (1-2 minutes). Season to taste, transfer to a serving bowl and serve with mains.

Notes

Warrigal greens are easy to grow at home, or can be foraged from coastal areas, where permitted. Warrigal greens are available from farmers' markets, select greengrocers or online.

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