Pui Shaak Chingri Maacher Chorchori - Stir-Fried Malabar Spinach & Shrimp

Pui Shaak Chingri Maacher Chorchori

Malabar spinach or basella is labeled Indian Spinach in the Asian markets. In Bengali, this spinach is called pui shaak and it is one of my favorite vegetables. In this dish the spinach has been stir-fried with shrimp, Japanese eggplant & sweet potatoes with a tempering of Bengali 5-spice or panch phoron seeds. It is seasoned simply with ginger paste and roasted panch phoron powder. For a vegetarian or vegan dish, omit the shrimp.


Ingredients: 
1 lb. Malabar spinach, thick stems removed and chopped
8 oz. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 Japanese eggplant, cubed, tossed with salt and left to drain in a sieve
1 sweet potato, peeled, cubed & soaked in water
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. Bengali 5-spice or panch phoron seeds
2 green chilies, diced
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. ginger paste
1/2 tsp. roasted & ground panch phoron
1/4 tsp. sugar
salt to taste
1 tsp. ghee for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, stir-fry shrimp until pink, remove and set aside.
2. In the same skillet, sputter panch phoron seeds, stir-fry bay leaves, chilies and sweet potatoes for 5 minutes.
3. Add eggplant and fry to a golden-brown.
4. Tip spinach into skillet, along with panch phoron powder, ginger paste and salt to taste.
5. When spinach wilts and all liquid has evaporated, return shrimp to skillet and sprinkle sugar over spinach.
6. Garnish with ghee and serve over steamed Basmati rice or chapatis.