Keerai Masiyal - a quick and simple recipe

 In this fast moving world, we have to eat healthy and nutritious food. To enable this we are getting cut fruits, chopped vegetables too. We are also getting chopped spinach too. But even if you dont get chopped spinach you get cleaned spinach all that you need to do is just chop it using vegetable cutter or chopper. Once this is done, cooking gets very easy.

Ingredients:

Greens - 1 bunch or chopped greens 3 cups

Oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Whole Urad dal - 2 tbsp

Asafodieta - 1/2 tsp

Red Chillies - 4 nos

Salt - 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp 

Method:

Wash and clean the greens. Add 1/2 tsp of slat and wash it again. Ensure it is free of sand. You can even wash it for 3 to 4 times. 

In a pressure cooker add 1 spoon of oil and  10 ml of water. Add the washed greens and cook it for 3 whistles. Rest it till the pressure can be released. Open add 1 tsp of salt and mash it well. 

In a tadka pan add the oil and when hot add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the urad dal, asafodieta, red chillies and add it to the greens. Mix well. It goes well with Vathakuzhambu, rasam rice and curd rice. 

Keerai Molakoottal

 A typical Palakad recipe this Keerai Molagoottal is one mouth watering dish from Kerala Tamilnadu border. One of the major Keerai used is Molai Keerai though this can be made using Arai Keerai or Paruppu Keerai or Thandu Keerai or even Palak. This is not the typical Keerai kootu but a slight variation. 

Ingredients:

2 bunches of spinach - cleaned and chopped (which comes upto 4 to 6 cups)

Thuvar dal - 1/2 cup

Salt - 1 tbsp

Turmeric Powder - 1.2 tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Urad dal (whole) - 2 tbsp

Red chilly - 4 nos

Grated coconut - 1/4 cup

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Hing - 1/2 tsp

Urad dal split - 1 tbsp

Method:

Pressure cook dal with turmeric powder for 6 whistles and mash it well. 

In a pan add 1 spoon of oil and saute the urad dal, red chilly and cumin seeds. Once the dal turns golden brown transfer it to a dry plate and let it cool. Once cool add the coconut to it and grind it to a fine paste. 

Pressure cook the spinach along with 1/2 tbsp of salt and mash well. Add the ground paste to it and simmer it once the paste blends and cooks well add the mashed dal and mix well. Let it cook in the slow flame for about 5 mins. 

In a tadka pan add oil, mustard seeds and let it splutter. Once done add the split urad dal and red chilly and saute till the dal turns golden brown. Add it to the keerai. Mix well. Yummy molakoottal is ready. 

This can be mixed with rice and or had it as a side dish to vathakuzhambu or rasam. But the best combo according to me is the molakootal with curd rice. 

Araikeerai by Uma Sridharan

Ingredients:
Araikeerai: 1 bunch
Garlic pods: 5
Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp
Mustard seeds: ¼ tsp
Urid dal: ¼ tsp
Asafoetida: ¼ tsp
Salt: to taste
Coconut oil: 1 tsp.

Method
Cut the Araikeerai finely. Wash and drain.
In a heavy bottomed kadai, pour coconut oil, add mustard seeds and urid dal.
Let it splutter. Add araikkerai, chopped garlic pods, turmeric powder and salt.
Sauté till it till the keerai done.
Remove from fire,
Serve with rasam sadam.
You mix this keerai curry with hot rice and ghee.

Pathiya Samayal Contest Entry by Uma Sridharan

Puliyitta Keerai

Ingredients:
Greens - 1 bunch
Green Chilli - 3 nos
Tamarind paste - 3 tbsp
Jaggery - small piece (optional)
Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Broken Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli - 3 nos
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Salt to taste.

Method:
Cut greens into small pieces. Wash and clean them thoroughly. Slit the green chillies into 2. In a hard bottom pan add one cup of water and add turmeric powder, green chillies and greens. Boil and cook the greens well. Add tamarind juice, jaggery and salt and mix well and mash well. Cover and cook till the raw smell and taste of the tamarind juice goes off.

In a seasoning laddle heat oil and mustard seeds. When it splutters add the urad dal, red chilli and curry leaves. Serve it with hot rice.