Lamb's quarters (Chenopodium album), called bathua in northern India and Nepal where it is extensively cultivated, also melde, goosefoot, wild spinach and fat-hen, is a fast growing plant that is used for its grain and as a vegetable. In some parts of the world, it is considered a weed.
The leaves and young shoots may be eaten raw or cooked as a leaf vegetable. The flower buds and flowers can also be eaten cooked. Like quinoa, to which it is closely related, each plant produces tens of thousands of black seeds.
In India, the plant is found abundantly in the winter season. The leaves and young shoots of this plant are used in dishes such as soups, curries, and paratha-stuffed breads. In Haryana state, a raita dip made with bathua called bathue ka raita is commonly eaten in winters.
In Nepal, it is known as bethe or bethu, where it is used to make saag. A fermented dish known as masaura is also made by dipping the leaves in a lentil batter with spices and then dried in sun for some days. The fermented masaura can be made into a curry and served with rice.
TOINDEX https://www.google.com/books/edition/Harvesting_Food_from_Weeds/6PrKEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 "Harvesting Food from Weeds"
TOINDEX https://www.google.com/books/edition/Refreshing_Raitas/xZ_rCQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 - bathua ka raita