Bathua, also called fat-hen or lamb’s quarters, is a weed of winter wheat and mustard fields that North Indian kitchens gather as a leafy green. It is cooked into saag, folded into parathas and stirred into raita through the cold months. In Tamil it is chakravarthi keerai. It is a close relative of quinoa, and its seeds were gathered as food in prehistoric Europe.
- Botanical name
- Chenopodium album L.
- Family
- Amaranthaceae
- Tamil
- Chakravarthi keerai
- Hindi
- Bathua
- Parts used
- Leaf, Tender stem
- Habit
- White goosefoot; Tamil paruppukeerai is a shop word
- Last updated
- 2026-10-27
How to recognise Bathua
It is an upright annual, often knee- to waist-high, with ridged stems that may have red or purple stripes.
The leaves are diamond-shaped to triangular, with irregular teeth, and dull grey-green.
Young shoots and leaf undersides are coated in a white, mealy powder made of tiny bladder-like hairs that rubs off on the fingers.
Tiny green flowers form dense clusters at the stem tips and leaf bases, followed by small, shiny black seeds.
Its strong white mealiness and diamond leaves set it apart from amaranth greens, which have smooth, oval leaves.
Traditional use of Bathua
Kitchen
Bathua saag, bathua raita and bathua paratha are winter dishes in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
North Indian food practice
Kitchen
In the Himalaya, related Chenopodium seeds are cooked as a grain, and bathua seed was eaten in famines.
Himalayan food practice
Archaeology
Seeds of fat-hen were among the last meal found in Tollund Man, an Iron Age body preserved in a Danish bog.
Danish archaeological record
Modern notes on Bathua
The leaves supply calcium, iron, vitamin C and beta-carotene, comparable to spinach.
They also contain oxalate, and plants grown in heavily fertilised fields can build up high nitrate levels.
The seeds carry bitter saponins on the coat, like quinoa, which are removed by washing.
Bathua safety
Eat it cooked and in normal food amounts. People with kidney stones should limit it because of oxalate. Do not gather it from fields recently sprayed with herbicide.
Ecology and sourcing
It grows on disturbed, fertile ground worldwide and is one of the most common crop weeds.
A single plant can shed tens of thousands of seeds that stay alive in the soil for years.
It is wind-pollinated and also hosts aphids and leaf miners.
Related plants
Also in Amaranthaceae
Questions about Bathua
What is bathua in Tamil?
Chakravarthi keerai.
When is Bathua in season?
In North India, through the winter wheat season from November to March.
Is Bathua related to quinoa?
Yes. Both are Chenopodium species with similar mealy leaves.
What is the white powder on the leaves of Bathua?
Tiny bladder-like hairs that rub off easily.
Should Bathua be eaten raw?
It is usually cooked, which also lowers its soluble oxalate.
Sources
- Chenopodium album L. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q158610 (Chenopodium album)
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.