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Keerai Masiyal

Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Course: Main Course, Main Dish
Cuisine: Indian, South Indian
Keyword: keerai, palak, spinach
Servings: 3 people

Ingredients

  • 1/2 Onion medium sized
  • 1 Tomatoes medium sized
  • 2-3 green chillies
  • 2 pods of garlic
  • 1/2 cup dry moong dal
  • 2 + 1 & 1/2 cup Water
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tbspGhee
  • 1 tsp Cumin seeds
  • 1/4 tsp Hing or asafoetida
  • 2 no.s Dry Red chillies
  • 1 tsp Black Mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp Sambar powder
  • 1 bunch Spinach or palak
  • 1/4 tsp Turmeric
  • 2-3 leaves Curry leaves optional

Instructions

  • Wash the spinach leaves and trim the roots and keep it aside. Chop the onions finely, and the tomatoes roughly and keep aside.
  • Wash the dry moong dal and cook it in a pressure cooker or in a pot with 1 and 1/2 cups of water and turmeric powder and kept aside.
  • Heat a pan to medium heat and add green chillies, garlic pods, and the washed and trimmed spinach and let it wilt down on the pan completely. Move it around gently to allow the heat to touch the leaves. The moisture in the spinach while washing is enough. If you feel the spinach is getting stuck on the pan or getting dry add a table spoon of water to it and allow it to wilt.
  • Once done allow it to cool down and blend the spinach along with the green chillies and the garlic pods to a coarse mixture.
  • Next heat the same pan to medium heat, add 1 tbsp ghee, add the chopped onions, and sauté until the onions are soft ,next add in the chopped tomatoes and some salt and cover the pan with a lid and cook until the tomatoes are softened.
  • Once the tomatoes are softened, Next add in the pressure cooked or boiled moong dal and mix it in the onion and tomato masala. Next add the sambar powder and sauté for a few minutes.
  • Add in the ground spinach mixture., rinse the blender jar with 2 cups of water and mix it in. Check for salt, cover and simmer it for 10 minutes until you see small bubbles around the edges of the pan/pot.
  • Turn off the flame and transfer to your serving dish. As always the final step is tadka or talippu. Heat a small wok, add 1 tbsp ghee to it and add mustard seeds to it, allow it to crackle and next add cumin and dry red chillies. Once you see the cumin and red chillies have become lightly toasted, add curry leaves and switch off the flame. When the tadka is still hot add asafoetida and mix it with a spoon.
  • Add the hot tadka prepared on the keerai masiyal (spinach and lentil curry) prepared Serve it hot with Rice.

Notes

Sambar powder can be replaced with 1/2 tsp coriander powder + 1/2 tsp red chilli powder + 1/4 tsp cumin powder
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