Purslane

• Portulaca oleracea is known as Common Purslane.
• It will grow up to 40cm height.
• There is approximately 40 varieties are cultivated.
• It is considered an exotic weed in United States.
• It has smooth, reddish, mostly prostrate stems and alternate leaves clustered at stem joints and ends.
• It's flower is yellow and have 5 regular parts of 6mm wide.
• Depending upon rainfall, the flowers appear anytime during the year.
• The flower opens singly at the center of the leaf cluster for only a few hours on sunny mornings.
• Seeds are formed in a tiny pod, which opens when the seeds are mature.
• It has a taproot with fibrous secondary roots.
• It has a slightly sour and salty taste.
• It's stem, leaves and flower buds all are edible.

100g of Raw Purslane V/S Daily Nutrients (with % of Daily Values)

• 16 Calories.
• 1.3g of Protein (3%).
• 0.1g of Total Fat. 
• 3.43g of Total Carbohydrate.
• 1320 IU of Vitamin A (26%).
• 21mg of Vitamin C (35%).
• 0.047mg of Vitamin B1 (3%).
• 0.112mg of Vitamin B2 (7%).
• 0.48mg of Vitamin B3 (2%).
• 0.036mg of Vitamin B5.
• 0.073mg of Vitamin B6 (4%).
• 12mcgs of Vitamin B9 (3%).
• 65mg of Calcium (7%).
• 68mg of Magnesium (17%).
• 44mg of Phosphorus (4%).  
• 494mg of Potassium (14%).
• 45mg of Sodium (2%).
• 0.113mg of Copper (6%).
• 1.99mg of Iron (11%).
• 0.303mg of Manganese (15%).
• 0.9mcgs of Selenium (1%).
• 0.17mg of Zinc (1%).

  100g of Cooked Purslane V/s Daily Nutrients (with % of Daily Values)

• 18 Calories.
• 1.49g of Protein (3%).
• 0.19g of Total Fat. 
• 3.55g of Total Carbohydrate.
• 1852 IU of Vitamin A (37%).
• 10.5mg of Vitamin C (18%).
• 0.031mg of Vitamin B1 (2%).
• 0.09mg of Vitamin B2 (5%).
• 0.46mg of Vitamin B3 (2%).
• 0.036mg of Vitamin B5.
• 0.07mg of Vitamin B6 (4%).
• 9mcgs of Vitamin B9 (2%).
• 78mg of Calcium (8%).
• 67mg of Magnesium (17%).
• 37mg of Phosphorus (4%).  
• 488mg of Potassium (14%).
• 44mg of Sodium (2%).
• 0.114mg of Copper (6%).
• 0.77mg of Iron (4%).
• 0.307mg of Manganese (15%).
• 0.9mcgs of Selenium (1%).
• 0.17mg of Zinc (1%).

Health Benefits of Purslane

• There is a huge reduction in the amount of Iron in Purslane while cooking.
• They are rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Magnesium, Potassium, Iron and Manganese.
• They contains more Omega-3 fatty acids than any other leafy vegetable plant (300 to 400mg per 100g of Purslane leaf).
• Studies shown that Purslane contains 0.01mg/g of eicosapentaenoic acid(EPA). EPA is an Omega-3 fatty acid.
• 50g of Purslane contains 910mg of Oxalate which implicated in the formation of kidney stones. Cooking reduces the soluble Oxalate content by 27%.
• It uses as Medicine for several illness.

 Famous Purslane Dishes

• Seed cakes (Australian Aborigines).
• Andrakla / Glystrida (Greek).
• Burdullak (Albania).