Katuk (Sauropus androgynus) a small shrub popular in South Asia (possibly the most popular leafy vegetables in the region). The leaves are stripped from the branches and eaten raw or stir fried and the young shoots are cooked like asparagus (AKA tropical asparagus). After a period of time the plant will produce small purple fruit if it has favorable growing conditions (tropical/subtropical).The Katuk plant has leaves that taste like peanuts and have high levels of protein, minerals, carotenoids and vitamin A,B,C, and K. In Indonesia the small fruits and flowers are eaten and highly cherished. The leaves have been used to make an infusion to help mothers milk flow easier during breastfeeding. In the 1990s, the leaves of the Katuk plant were juiced and used as a weightless product. While high in nutrition excessive consumption of the juice of the leaves can be toxic because of high levels of concentration of alkaloid papaverine which lowers blood pressure and has been used for other pharmacological ways.. Too much Katuk eaten raw for extended periods of time may be harmful. Don’t be frightened to eat it, but be conservative and maybe have a handful or two in a salad, but don’t eat the whole bush raw.
Nutritional value in comparison to spinach:
Protein: 4.9 g Katuk – 0.43 g Spinach
Calcium: 51 mg Katuk – 15 mg Spinach
Iron: 2.7 mg Katuk – 0.4 mg Spinach
Vitamin A: 1122 IU – Katuk 1407 IU Spinach
Vitamin C: 83 mg Katuk – 4.2 mg Spinach
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