Kuppaikeerai (Amaranthus viridis)

Kuppaikeerai is slender green amaranth, a common weed of gardens and waste ground that Tamil homes pick as a free leafy green. Its Tamil name means rubbish-heap greens, after where it springs up. Hindi calls it jangli chaulai. It is milder than the cultivated amaranths and grows fast after monsoon rain. Unlike spiny amaranth, mullu keerai, it has no spines.

Botanical name: Amaranthus viridis L.
Family: Amaranthaceae
Tamil: Kuppaikeerai
Hindi: Jangli chaulai
Parts used: Leaf, Tender stem
Habit: Weedy leaf amaranth; not thandu keerai and not a children’s raw binge
Last updated: 2026-10-27

How to recognise Kuppaikeerai

It is an upright or sprawling annual, usually knee-high, with smooth, green stems.

The leaves are oval to diamond-shaped on long stalks, often with a small notch at the tip.

Tiny green flowers form slender, branched spikes at the tips and small clusters in the leaf axils.

The seeds are tiny, round and dark brown to black.

Spiny amaranth has sharp paired spines at the leaf bases, and thandu keerai has much stouter stems.

Traditional use of Kuppaikeerai

Kitchen

Young leaves are cooked into keerai masiyal, mashed greens with garlic and cumin, or with dal as keerai kootu.

Tamil food practice

Kitchen

Across Africa and the Caribbean, the leaves of this amaranth are cooked as callaloo-style greens.

African and Caribbean food practice

Modern notes on Kuppaikeerai

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

They also contain oxalate, and plants from heavily fertilised soils can store high nitrate.

Leaves gathered beside roads or drains may hold heavy metals from the soil.

Kuppaikeerai safety

Pick it only from clean ground away from roads, drains and sprayed fields, and cook it well. People with kidney stones should eat it in moderation.

Ecology and sourcing

It grows on disturbed ground across the tropics and warm temperate regions.

It is wind-pollinated and produces huge numbers of seeds.

Its seeds sprout quickly after rains and can carpet bare soil within weeks.

Related plants

Also in Amaranthaceae

Questions about Kuppaikeerai

What does kuppaikeerai mean?

Rubbish-heap greens, after where it often grows.

Is Kuppaikeerai edible?

Yes, when picked from clean ground and cooked.

How is Kuppaikeerai different from mullu keerai?

Mullu keerai has spines; kuppaikeerai does not.

Is Kuppaikeerai the same as thandu keerai?

No. Thandu keerai is Amaranthus tricolor.

When does Kuppaikeerai grow?

Mainly after monsoon rains, but all year where watered.

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.