Red spinach, the kitchen garden's delight

Amaranth or Amaranthus dubius, also known as red spinach, is a nutrition packed, easy-to-grow leafy vegetable in kitchen gardens. Red spinach is a member of the plant family Amaranthaceae, which includes nearly 2,500 species ranging from spinach to beetroot, to grains such as amaranth and quinoa.Unrelated to spinach but known to contain thrice the calcium and five times the niacin content of spinach, red amaranth has oval leaves with deep red veins running through it. The young leaves and stems of red amaranth are used raw in salads in southeast Asia. Mature leaves are extensively used in stir fries across Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Vietnam and China, using very few spices and embellishments to highlight the hearty flavour and tender chewy texture.