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Herb knowledgeThandu keerai
Amaranthus tricolor L. · Amaranthaceae
Thandu keerai, lal sag in Hindi, is garden amaranth or Chinese spinach, one of India’s most common leafy greens. Its leaves may be green, red or splashed with red and yellow, and its thick, tender stems, thandu, are cooked too. In Bengal red lal shaak tints the rice pink. Fancy-leaved forms are grown as the ornamental Joseph’s coat.
- Botanical name
- Amaranthus tricolor L.
- Family
- Amaranthaceae
- Tamil
- Thandu keerai
- Hindi
- Lal sag
- Sanskrit
- Tandulīya
- Parts used
- Leaves, Young stems
- Habit
- Garden amaranth grown as a leaf and stem green
- Last updated
- 2026-10-27
How to recognise Thandu keerai
It is a fast-growing, upright annual, usually knee- to waist-high, with thick, juicy stems.
The leaves are oval to diamond-shaped, green, red, purple or variegated, without spines at the leaf bases.
Tiny green or red flowers form dense clusters in the leaf axils and short spikes at the top.
The seeds are tiny, shiny and black.
Spiny amaranth has sharp spines at the leaf bases.
Traditional use of Thandu keerai
Kitchen
Leaves are cooked into keerai masiyal, poriyal and kootu, and peeled stems into thandu sambar in Tamil Nadu.
Tamil food practice
Kitchen
In Bengal lal shaak is stir-fried with garlic and eaten with rice.
Bengali food practice
Kitchen
In China and South-east Asia it is stir-fried as a common green vegetable.
East and South-east Asian food practice
Modern notes on Thandu keerai
The leaves are rich in iron, calcium, vitamin C, folate and beta-carotene.
Red forms contain betalain pigments, which colour cooking water and rice.
Like other amaranths, it can contain oxalate and build up nitrate on heavily fertilised soil.
Thandu keerai safety
Cook it before eating. People with kidney stones should eat it in moderation.
Ecology and sourcing
It was domesticated in tropical Asia.
It grows quickly in hot, humid weather and is ready to harvest in a few weeks.
It is wind-pollinated.
Related plants
Also in Amaranthaceae
Questions about Thandu keerai
What does thandu mean?
Stem; the thick stems are eaten.
Is Thandu keerai Chinese spinach?
Yes, the same plant.
Why does red amaranth turn rice pink?
Its betalain pigments dissolve in water.
Does Thandu keerai have spines?
No.
How fast does Thandu keerai grow?
It can be harvested within a month.
Sources
- Amaranthus tricolor L. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q3242205 (Amaranthus tricolor)
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.