Green leafy vegetables · IFCT 2017
Radish leaves: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, raw radish leaves give 26 kcal, 2.2 g protein, 234 mg calcium, 3.82 mg iron and 65.8 mg vitamin C, according to IFCT 2017. The vitamin C ranks 17th of 130 foods and covers about a full day's need for a woman. Radish leaves hold far more of every one of these than the mooli root they are cut from.
About radish leaves
Radish is a winter staple across north and east India, and the bunches come with a generous fan of rough green leaves. Many shoppers twist them off at the stall, but in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Bengal, Maharashtra and Kashmir the leaves are cooked as a sabzi in their own right. IFCT 2017 records names in 16 languages: muli ka sag in Hindi, muli di patte in Punjabi, mulo shak in Bengali, mula ka sag in Marathi, mullangi soppu in Kannada, mooji hakh in Kashmiri and moolaa ko saag in Nepali.
The leaves taste peppery and slightly bitter, and the bite softens as they cook. Bihar and Uttar Pradesh cook mooli ke patte with potato or a little besan, Maharashtra makes mulyachi bhaji with soaked moong dal, and Bengal cooks mulo shak with nigella seeds. In Sikkim and Nepal, radish leaves are one of the two greens, with mustard, that are fermented and dried into gundruk for winter soups.
What radish leaves brings to a meal
- 01
Vitamin C for a full day
100 g of raw radish leaves gives 65.8 mg vitamin C, 82 per cent of a man's daily requirement and 101 per cent of a woman's. Cooking briefly, with the lid on, saves more of it.
- 02
Calcium and iron
The leaves carry 234 mg calcium and 3.82 mg iron per 100 g, ranking 30th and 69th of 242 foods. That is 23 per cent of the adult calcium requirement and 20 per cent of a man's iron requirement.
- 03
Beta-carotene ranks 19th
At 2591 micrograms per 100 g, radish leaves rank 19th of 160 foods for beta-carotene. The white root has very little, so the leaves are where the colour and carotene are.
- 04
Light and watery
With 26 kcal and 91.2 g water per 100 g, radish leaves cook down a great deal. A large bunch shrinks to a small bowl, so the cooked serving concentrates their nutrients.
Radish leaves nutrition facts per 100 g
Every value IFCT 2017 reports for the edible portion, with the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers where ICMR-NIN sets a requirement.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Adult man | Adult woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and macronutrients | |||
| Energy | 26 kcal | 1% | 2% |
| Protein | 2.2 g | 4% | 5% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 2.8 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 1.8 g | ||
| Free sugars | 0.3 g | ||
| Total fat | 0.5 g | ||
| Water | 91.2 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.15 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.03 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.25 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 203 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 234 mg | 23% | 23% |
| Iron | 3.82 mg | 20% | 13% |
| Zinc | 0.49 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Magnesium | 58 mg | 13% | 16% |
| Phosphorus | 50 mg | ||
| Potassium | 304 mg | ||
| Sodium | 17 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.29 mg | ||
| Selenium | 33 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 65.8 mg | 82% | 101% |
| Beta-carotene | 2,591 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.06 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.13 mg | 5% | 5% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.47 mg | 3% | 3% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.16 mg | 7% | 8% |
| Folate (B9) | 53 µg | 18% | 24% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.06 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 185 µg | ||
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Radish leaves: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/green-leafy-vegetables/radish-leaves/
Where radish leaves sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 25 green leafy vegetables and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In green leafy vegetables | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calcium | 234 mg | 10th of 26 | 30th of 242 |
| Vitamin C | 65.8 mg | 9th of 26 | 17th of 130 |
| Beta-carotene | 2,591 µg | 13th of 26 | 19th of 160 |
How radish leaves is eaten
- Mooli ke patte ki sabzi: chopped leaves and diced radish cooked with potato, garlic, ajwain and dried red chilli.
- Mulyachi bhaji in Maharashtra: leaves cooked with soaked moong dal, green chilli and a little jaggery.
- Mooli paratha: grated radish and finely chopped leaves, squeezed of water, stuffed into wheat dough.
- Mulo shak in Bengal: leaves stir-fried with nigella seeds, green chilli and a little mustard oil.
- Gundruk in Sikkim and Nepal: leaves wilted, fermented and sun-dried, then cooked into a sour winter soup.
Recipes in the NNWA database that use it
Before you plan around it
Radish leaves are rough and slightly prickly, and older leaves can be stringy and very bitter. Choose bunches with bright, upright leaves, use the younger inner ones, and chop them finely. Because the leaves sit close to the soil and are often sprayed, wash them in several changes of water. They also wilt quickly once cut from the root, so cook them the same day or the next. The pungency comes from sulphur compounds that some people find causes wind; a pinch of hing or ajwain in the tempering helps.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
What people ask about radish leaves
Are radish leaves edible?
Yes, and they are more nutritious than the root. IFCT 2017 lists 234 mg calcium, 3.82 mg iron and 65.8 mg vitamin C per 100 g of radish leaves. They are cooked as a sabzi across north and east India and fermented into gundruk in the Himalaya.
Are radish leaves good for iron?
They contribute a fair amount, 3.82 mg per 100 g, about 20 per cent of a man's requirement. Their own vitamin C helps the body absorb that iron, so cooking them quickly to preserve the vitamin C is worth the effort.
Can radish leaves be eaten raw?
Very young, tender leaves can be chopped into a salad or raita in small amounts, but most radish leaves are too rough and peppery to enjoy raw. Light cooking softens them and removes much of the bitterness.
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Calcium content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by calcium per 100 g.
Vitamin C content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by vitamin c per 100 g.
Beta-carotene content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by beta-carotene per 100 g.
All green leafy vegetables
26 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
Certification in Nutrition
Reading food composition tables and turning them into meal plans is taught in this NNWA course.