About Basella alba L.
Basella alba is a fast-growing, soft-stemmed vine that grows up to 10 metres (33 ft) in length. It has thick, semi-succulent, heart-shaped leaves with a mild flavour and mucilaginous texture. There are two main variants: green and red. The standard green variety has green stems and green leaves, while the cultivar Basella alba 'Rubra' has reddish-purple stems. Its leaves emerge green, and as the plant matures, older leaves develop purple pigment starting from the leaf base and spreading toward the tip. A crushed stem of Basella alba typically releases a strong scent. Malabar spinach, the common name for this plant, is available at many Asian supermarkets and farmers' markets. This species is native to the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and New Guinea. It has become naturalized in China, tropical Africa, Brazil, Belize, Colombia, the West Indies, Fiji, and French Polynesia. Basella alba is used in a wide range of regional cuisines. In Sri Lanka, it is used to prepare different types of curries, particularly curries made with dal. In the Philippines, its leaves are a main ingredient in the all-vegetable dish utan, which is served over rice; this dish is typically cooked with sardines, onions, garlic, and parsley. In Mangalorean Tuluva cuisine, Basella alba is paired with a coconut-based gravy called gassi to create the delicacy Basale gassi, which is eaten with rice dumplings called pundi (soaked overnight in the gravy) or with red rice. Some variations of this dish add tiny prawns, clams, horsegram, or dried fish to the gravy. In Kongu Nadu cuisine, the vegetable is pureed and cooked into a curry served with rice. In Bengali cuisine, it is used widely in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian preparations: it is cooked as a vegetable dish with red pumpkin, and also cooked with Ilish fish bones or shrimp. In Odia cuisine, it is cooked with mustard paste to create the dish "poi saaga rai". In the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, a curry is made from Basella alba and yam. In Gujarat, large, tender fresh leaves are washed, coated in a besan batter, and deep-fried to make crispy pakodas called "poi na bhajia". This vegetable is also used in Chinese cuisine, where it is sometimes called flowing water vegetable, and is most often added to stir-fries and soups. In Vietnam, where it is called mồng tơi, it is cooked with shrimp, crab meat, luffa, and jute to make soup. In Africa, the most common preparation uses cooked, mucilaginous shoots. Unused Basella alba stems stay fresh for up to a week when stored in the refrigerator; if not refrigerated, they should be kept in water to maintain freshness. Historically, the red variety of Basella alba was used to produce red dye in China, and this dye was used as a cosmetic and to color sealing wax.
