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Pradeepa Tennakoon
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“I’m originally from Sri Lanka and we eat a fair amount of of green leaves. And also the skin of some vegetables are edible delicacies. So here is a list I made of green leaves and vegetable skins that I thought many do not know that they are edible. There are more, but only these coming into my mind atm. Usually these leaves have to be young and the young stems are also mixed with them.
Young leaves and stems of following plants
Bottle gourd leaves
Choko leaves
Pumpkin leaves
Blackberry nightshade leaves
Hot chilli leaves (stir fry)
Passionfruit leaves (2nd method only)
Sweet potato leaves
Sweet pea leaves (usually stir fry method)
Cassava leaves (different method cooking, not the ways mentioned below)
Both young and mature leaves
Beetroot leaves
Moringa leaves (leaves only, no stem)
Amaranth leaves
Mustard leaves
Raddish leaves
Kangkung leaves (water spinach)
Mukunuwenna/ Joyweed in Queensland (Alternanthera sessilis) I have heard this grows as an invasive weed in Queensland. People grow commercially in Sri Lanka . And please dont mistake this with Alligator weed. Alligator weed – one flower at the end of the stem. Mukunuwenna – many flowers along the stem)
Fenugreek leaves
Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower leaves
Gotukola ( raw salad or stir fry. Salad – thinly slice gotukola, onion, optionally green chilli and tomato. Mix all with scraped coconut (or desicated softened sprinking some hot water), salt and some lemon/lime juice)
Purslane (stir fried or cook with dhal)
Skin of the vegetable (if stir fried slice these thin)
Skin of bottle gourd
Skin of loofah
Basically there are two methods that we prepare green leaves and the vegetable skins.
1. Stir fry with onion, garlic, chilli flakes, salt (you can add meat too)
2. (We call this method “Mellum”). Thinly slice the leaves/skin and onion, mix with a handful of scraped coconut(or desicated coconut softened by sprinkling some hot water) and a pinch of salt, on low heat cook about 6,7 minutes in a pan, no oil or anything (vegetable skins until soft)
P.s.
1. We prepare red raddish and its leaves as salads. Chop both into tiny pieces, slice onion, green, chilli and tomato into same size, sprinkle salt and lime juice(or lemon) optionally add some crushed pepper. mix everything together.
2. Some leaves are made into soup/porridge. Ex:gotukola, mukunuwenna and curry leaves. ( blend the leaves with some water, strain the liquid, mix it with coconut milk, cup of cooked rice, salt. Cook in medium heat for about 20 minutes)
Please google and you will find more recipes from different cultures. And I suggest you eat these in a small amount first time because we have been eating these for generations, but this is your first time.
If you are used to make dhal curry, try adding bottle gourd leaves, spinach, fenugreek leaves, amaranth leaves, choko leaves, pumpkin leaves or purslane. Make sure you add them last minutes before you switch off the cooker)”