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Amaranthus tricolor L. and other edible Amaranthus species
Amaranth leaves are tender leafy vegetables harvested from edible species of Amaranthus, especially Amaranthus tricolor, along with Amaranthus dubius, Amaranthus viridis, Amaranthus cruentus, and related cultivated forms. They are known by many regional names, including chaulai, lal saag, thotakura, keerai, callaloo, Chinese spinach, en choy, bayam, and African spinach. Depending on the species and cultivar, the leaves may be bright green, burgundy, purple-red, or dramatically variegated with yellow and crimson. Young leaves and stems are tender, mildly earthy, and subtly sweet, while mature foliage can develop a stronger mineral or slightly astringent flavor. Both the leaves and succulent stems are edible, although thick mature stalks require longer cooking. Amaranth greens are sautéed, steamed, boiled, braised, stir-fried, simmered in soups and dals, and cooked with coconut, legumes, grains, meat, or fish. Raw amaranth leaves provide vitamin K, vitamin C, folate, provitamin A carotenoids, manganese, copper, calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, and protein for relatively few calories. Red cultivars additionally contain betalain pigments. Nutrient concentrations vary among species, cultivars, growing environments, and leaf ages, so the values presented here represent the USDA reference entry for raw amaranth leaves rather than every regional type.
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Amaranth Leaves - Main View
Per 100g
Per 100g
Nutrition breakdown for one serving
Tropical Asia for Amaranthus tricolor, while other vegetable amaranths originated in tropical regions of Africa and the Americas
Amaranth is an ancient crop genus containing species used for leaves, grain, ornament, and traditional medicine. Amaranthus tricolor, the principal Asian vegetable amaranth, originated in tropical Asia and was domesticated in prehistoric times. It became an important leafy vegetable throughout South Asia, China, and Southeast Asia under names such as chaulai, keerai, thotakura, bayam, and Chinese spinach. Other species developed as leafy vegetables in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas. Amaranthus cruentus and related American species were also cultivated for grain by pre-Columbian civilizations, while their young leaves remained edible vegetables. Enslaved and migrating communities helped carry African and American amaranth traditions throughout the Caribbean, where several leafy dishes became known collectively as callaloo. Modern vegetable breeding emphasizes rapid growth, tenderness, color, leaf yield, delayed flowering, heat tolerance, and repeated cutting. Amaranth greens are now grown in fields, gardens, containers, and protected systems throughout tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions.
Vegetable amaranth is a warm-season crop that grows rapidly from late spring through early autumn. In tropical climates and protected production systems, leaves may be harvested throughout the year.
Each variety offers unique flavors, textures, and culinary applications
Keep your fruit fresh and delicious for longer
Choose bunches with crisp, vibrant leaves and tender, freshly cut stems.
Look for green, red, burgundy, or variegated coloration appropriate to the cultivar without extensive yellowing or browning.
Select smaller leaves and thin stems for quick cooking, salads, and tender dishes.
Choose mature bunches for soups, dals, braises, and recipes requiring longer cooking.
Avoid leaves that are slimy, moldy, foul-smelling, extensively wilted, or severely insect-damaged.
Purchase cultivated amaranth from a traceable supplier rather than gathering plants from roadsides, industrial ground, or contaminated land.
Refrigerate unwashed amaranth leaves promptly at 4°C or below in a perforated bag or ventilated container.
Wrap the bunch loosely in a clean, slightly damp towel to reduce wilting without trapping excessive water.
If the leaves have been washed, dry them thoroughly before refrigeration because excess surface moisture encourages decay.
Keep amaranth leaves separate from raw meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and their juices.
Remove slimy, moldy, or badly damaged leaves promptly so spoilage does not spread.
Avoid crushing the leaves under heavy produce because bruising accelerates deterioration.
Separate the leaves and rinse them thoroughly under cool running water because soil and insects can collect around the stems and leaf joints.
Trim roots, dry stem ends, damaged leaves, and fibrous lower stalks.
Retain tender young stems, slice them separately, and begin cooking them before the leaves.
Dry leaves intended for sautéing or stir-frying to reduce splattering and encourage even cooking.
Blanch or boil mature leaves when a softer texture or reduced soluble oxalate content is desired.
If discarding boiling water to reduce soluble compounds, remember that some vitamin C, folate, potassium, and other nutrients will also be lost.
Do not wash amaranth leaves with soap, detergent, bleach, or household disinfectants.
Preserve freshness for months
Remove roots, damaged leaves, and very tough mature stems.
Rinse the leaves and retained tender stems thoroughly to remove soil and insects.
Blanch prepared amaranth leaves for approximately 2 minutes.
Cool immediately in ice water to stop cooking and help preserve color.
Drain thoroughly, press out excess moisture, and freeze in airtight recipe-sized portions.
Use frozen amaranth in soups, dals, curries, braises, purees, and other cooked dishes because freezing softens its texture.
Label frozen items with the date to track freshness. Most fruits maintain quality for 2-3 months when properly frozen. For best results, use airtight containers or freezer bags to prevent freezer burn.
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Allergy to amaranth leaves is uncommon but possible. Reactions may include oral itching, hives, swelling, digestive symptoms, breathing difficulty, or, rarely, anaphylaxis. Anyone with a known allergy to amaranth grain or another Amaranthus product should approach the leaves cautiously and seek professional advice. Breathing difficulty, throat swelling, faintness, or widespread hives requires urgent medical attention.
Pesticide use and measured residues vary by country, farm, season, and production method. Separate the leaves and rinse them thoroughly under running water, paying attention to leaf joints and undersides. Washing can reduce soil, microorganisms, and some surface residues but cannot remove every residue or contaminants absorbed from polluted soil. Organic amaranth should also be washed because organic production does not eliminate microbial contamination.
Surprising trivia you'll love!
The name amaranth comes from a Greek word associated with a flower that does not fade.
Amaranthus contains leafy vegetables, grain crops, ornamentals, and agricultural weeds.
Vegetable amaranths use C4 photosynthesis, which supports rapid growth in warm, bright conditions.
Red amaranth owes much of its color to betalains rather than anthocyanins.
Beets and red amaranth both belong to the order Caryophyllales and can produce betalain pigments.
Amaranth leaves are known as chaulai, lal saag, thotakura, keerai, bayam, en choy, and callaloo in different cuisines.
Tender stems are edible and are often cooked before the faster-wilting leaves.
Many amaranth plants can regrow after careful cutting, allowing repeated leaf harvests.
Some grain-amaranth species also provide edible young leaves.
Amaranth can grow rapidly enough to become invasive or weedy when allowed to produce and disperse mature seed.
Amaranth leaves and amaranth grain come from plants in the same genus, Amaranthus, but different species and cultivars may be selected primarily for leaves, seeds, or ornamental color. Vegetable amaranths such as Amaranthus tricolor are bred for tender, rapidly growing foliage. Grain species such as Amaranthus cruentus and Amaranthus hypochondriacus produce abundant edible seeds, although their young leaves can also be eaten. The nutritional profile of fresh leaves is completely different from that of dry grain. Leaves contain much more water and fewer calories, while dry seeds are more concentrated in starch, protein, and energy.
Red and green amaranth are closely related vegetable types, but they may represent different cultivars or species. Many red forms belong to Amaranthus tricolor and contain betalain pigments that produce burgundy, crimson, or purple-red leaves. Green forms may belong to A. tricolor, A. viridis, A. dubius, or other edible species. Their basic culinary uses are similar, although flavor, tenderness, mineral content, pigments, and cooking behavior vary. Red amaranth often colors cooking liquid pink or purple, while green forms generally produce a spinach-like green dish.
Remove roots, dry stem ends, yellow leaves, slime, and damaged material. Separate the leaves and stems, then rinse them thoroughly under cool running water while rubbing away soil around the leaf joints. Do not use soap, detergent, bleach, or household disinfectants. Tender stems can be sliced and cooked, but mature fibrous stalks are better discarded. Because stems need more time than leaves, begin cooking sliced stems first and add the foliage later. Dry leaves intended for stir-frying or sautéing to limit splattering and prevent excessive steaming.
Red amaranth contains water-soluble betalain pigments, particularly red-violet betacyanins. Cutting and heating the leaves release these pigments from plant cells, allowing them to dissolve into cooking water, soup, sauce, or rice. The final color depends on cultivar, pigment concentration, cooking time, temperature, and acidity. Betalains can be sensitive to prolonged heat, so extended cooking may dull the original red-purple color. The colored liquid is generally a normal property of red amaranth rather than evidence of artificial dye, assuming the vegetable came from a trustworthy source.
Raw and cooked amaranth leaves have different advantages. Raw leaves generally retain more heat-sensitive vitamin C and folate, but mature leaves may be fibrous and can contain substantial oxalate or nitrate depending on species and growing conditions. Cooking softens the leaves, reduces volume, makes larger servings easier to eat, and can lower some soluble oxalate when the greens are boiled and drained. However, discarding cooking water also removes vitamin C, folate, potassium, and other water-soluble nutrients. Steaming or quick sautéing offers a compromise between tenderness and nutrient retention.
The USDA reference entry lists approximately 1,140 mcg of vitamin K per 100 g of raw amaranth leaves, equivalent to about 950% of the Daily Value. Vitamin K can influence the action of warfarin and other vitamin K antagonist medicines. People taking these drugs generally should not eliminate nutritious leafy vegetables automatically. Clinicians commonly recommend maintaining a reasonably consistent vitamin K intake so medication can be managed appropriately. Sudden major changes may alter anticoagulation. Anyone using an anticoagulant should follow individualized guidance from the prescribing clinician or registered dietitian.
Amaranth leaves can contain oxalates, but concentrations vary considerably among species, cultivars, leaf ages, soils, and growing conditions. Oxalate can bind calcium in the digestive tract, and high intake may be relevant to people who form calcium-oxalate kidney stones. Boiling the leaves and discarding the water can reduce part of the soluble oxalate, although it also removes some water-soluble nutrients. People with recurrent stones, kidney disease, or a prescribed low-oxalate diet should obtain individualized advice about portions, cooking methods, calcium intake, hydration, and overall dietary patterns.
Fresh amaranth leaves are usually at their best for approximately three to five days when refrigerated at 4°C or below. Store them unwashed in a perforated bag or ventilated container, ideally wrapped loosely in a clean towel that controls excess moisture. If they have already been washed, dry them thoroughly before refrigeration. Discard leaves that become slimy, moldy, foul-smelling, or extensively decayed. For longer storage, blanch the leaves, cool them in ice water, drain thoroughly, and freeze them in recipe-sized portions for soups, dals, curries, and braised dishes.
Sustainability insights
Vegetable amaranth grows rapidly, tolerates heat, and can provide repeated leaf harvests within a relatively short season. Its C4 photosynthetic pathway supports efficient carbon fixation under warm, bright conditions. Environmental impact depends on fertilizer, irrigation, pesticide use, soil management, refrigeration, packaging, transport, and waste. Crop rotation, compost use, integrated pest management, efficient nutrient application, and timely harvest can improve sustainability.
No single carbon-footprint value represents all amaranth-leaf production. Seasonal field-grown or home-grown amaranth generally requires less production energy than leaves cultivated in heated structures or transported by air. Fertilizer production, irrigation pumping, refrigeration, packaging, transport, cooking, and spoilage all contribute to emissions. Using tender stems and preserving surplus leaves through freezing can reduce waste.
Established amaranth plants can tolerate periods of heat and moderate drought, but consistent moisture is needed for tender, high-quality leaf production. Water use varies with climate, soil, harvest frequency, planting density, and irrigation method. Drip irrigation, mulching, soil-moisture monitoring, rainfall-based scheduling, and healthy soil organic matter can reduce unnecessary water consumption.
Locally grown seasonal amaranth may reach consumers fresher and require less long-term refrigeration than imported bunches. Distance alone does not determine total impact because farming efficiency, fertilizer use, irrigation source, packaging, storage, transport mode, and food waste also matter. Amaranth's rapid growth and suitability for warm climates make it practical for regional farms, community gardens, and household production.
We aim to keep this Amaranth Leaves profile accurate and easy to understand. Nutrition values and % Daily Value figures are based on established reference databases and standard daily value guidance.
Last updated: September 1, 2026
Medical disclaimer
This page is for general educational purposes and does not replace professional medical advice.
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