Heat 3 tbsp of cooking oil in a kadai or a pan on a medium flame. When the oil is hot, put in ½ tsp of Indian Five Spice Blend (panch foron) and 2 pieces of dry red chilies. Stir and cook them for a few seconds making sure that you do not burn them.

Now, add 4 pieces of green chilies to it. Slit the green chilies roughly. Fry them for about half a minute. (Pro tip: If you intend adding very little or no red chili powder to the dish, you may increase the number of green chilies added at this stage).

Now, add small, roughly diced pieces of 1 medium-sized brinjal and 200 grams of pumpkin, one by one, to the spices in the kadai. Stir them nicely so that the green chilies at the bottom do not get burnt.

Now, add 2 cups of stems of pui shak to it along with ½ tsp of salt and ½ tsp of turmeric powder. Mix them nicely with all the ingredients in the kadai.

Cover and let it cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on a low to medium flame until they turn soft. Remove the cover and stir the ingredients in between to prevent them from sticking to the bottom and getting burnt.

Now, remove the cover and add ½ tsp of ginger paste, another ½ tsp of turmeric powder, ½ tsp of cumin seed powder (jeera), and ½ tsp of red chili powder. Mix the powdered spices nicely but gently to make sure the soft brinjal pieces do not break.

Now, add 400 grams of pui shak (washed nicely, leaves only) bit by bit. Mix them nicely. Add the rest of the leaves when it gets reduced. Cover and let it cook on a low to medium flame until the leaves get reduced significantly. (Pro tip: Keep the flame of the gas stove constant to low to medium. Altering it frequently while cooking may affect the vibrant green color of pui shak).

Now, stir the shak and then add ½ tsp of sugar to it. Mix it nicely with all the ingredients in the kadai. Cover and cook it for another 4 to 5 minutes until everything turns soft and mix nicely and there is little or no water in the dish. Taste and add salt if needed at this stage.

Finally, add 4 more green chilies, slit in the middle, to the dish and mix them with the ingredients. (Pro tip: Adding green chiles in the final stage only adds to the flavor of the dish. They do not make it too hot or spicy).

Check the final texture and consistency of the pui shak. It should be a little juicy as shown in the image below.

Your tasty and healthy homemade niramish pui shak is now ready. Transfer it to a serving bowl and enjoy it with steamed rice or roti.