Amaranth (Chau lai)

Amaranth, known as chau lai, is a vigorously growing vegetable in warm weather. Certain varieties of amaranth can grow between one to six feet tall. Young leaves and stems can be harvested periodically for a long time during the growth. It was one of the vegetables grown for seeds and leafy greens in my dada-dadiji’s farm (paternal grandparents) in the northern hills of India. There are a number of different species of amaranth and a huge number of varieties within those species. Amaranth flowers can look spectacular ranging in crimson red, to dark purplish and yellow in color (depending on the variety) and may produce a huge number of seeds. Amaranth seeds are used in a variety of sweets and flour while amaranth leaves are cooked the same ways we cook any green leafy vegetables. As we approach the end of summer, I like to take advantage of the chau lai growing in our garden. I’ve been growing amaranth in my backyard garden mainly for greens for over three decades. Here I would like to share a couple of pictures of amaranth plant in my garden.

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