Mullu keerai (Amaranthus spinosus)

Mullu keerai is spiny amaranth, a common weed of fields and waste ground with a pair of sharp spines at the base of each leaf. Tamil homes gather the young leaves as a free green, cutting carefully around the thorns. Hindi calls it kantewali chaulai. It is a separate species from thandu keerai, Amaranthus tricolor, and kuppaikeerai, Amaranthus viridis, which have no spines.

Botanical name: Amaranthus spinosus L.
Family: Amaranthaceae
Tamil: Mullu keerai
Hindi: Kantewali chaulai
Parts used: Leaf after removing spines
Habit: Spiny weedy amaranth; leaves cooked after the spines are cut away
Last updated: 2026-10-27

How to recognise Mullu keerai

It is an upright, branching annual, usually knee- to waist-high, with smooth stems that are often red or purple.

A pair of stiff, sharp spines, up to about a centimetre long, sits at the base of most leaf stalks.

The leaves are oval to diamond-shaped, green, sometimes with a pale V-shaped mark.

Long, slender spikes of tiny green flowers form at the stem tips, with spiny clusters of female flowers in the leaf axils.

The seeds are tiny, shiny and black.

Traditional use of Mullu keerai

Kitchen

Young leaves and tips are stripped from the spiny stems and cooked as keerai masiyal or with dal.

Tamil food practice

Kitchen

In West Africa and South-east Asia the young leaves are boiled as a pot green.

West African and South-east Asian food practice

Farming

Farmers pull it from cotton, maize and vegetable fields with gloves because of the spines.

Indian farm practice

Modern notes on Mullu keerai

The leaves supply iron, calcium, vitamin C and beta-carotene, like other amaranth greens.

Plants on heavily fertilised soil can build up high nitrate, and livestock have been poisoned by grazing large amounts.

Its pollen is a common cause of hay fever in some regions.

Mullu keerai safety

Wear gloves when picking and cut away all spines before cooking. Eat it cooked, in normal amounts, and pick only from clean ground away from roads and sprayed fields.

Ecology and sourcing

It is native to tropical America and is now a weed across the tropics.

A single plant can shed many thousands of seeds.

It is wind-pollinated and thrives on disturbed, fertile soil.

Related plants

Also in Amaranthaceae

Questions about Mullu keerai

Can mullu keerai be eaten?

Yes, the young leaves, cooked, with the spines removed.

How do I tell Mullu keerai from other amaranths?

Look for paired spines at the leaf bases.

Is Mullu keerai the same as thandu keerai?

No. Thandu keerai is Amaranthus tricolor, which has no spines.

Is Mullu keerai a weed?

Yes, a common one in Indian fields.

Where did Mullu keerai come from?

Tropical America.

Sources

Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.