Keerai (spinach) masiyal சுவையான கீரை மசியல்

Keerai masiyal

This is the best side dish along with vatha kuzhambu, verum kuzhambu mor kuzhambu and milagu kuzhambu,
Mixed with little of this kuzhambu and keerai will be delicious side dish for curd rice.

Ingredients:
Spinach - 1bunch (1 kattu arai/ siru/ mulai keerai)
Salt - 1/2tsp
Rice flour - 1tsp
Hinge - a pinch
Lime (Chunnambu) - a pinch

For seasoning:
Urid dal - 1tsp
red chilli  -2 (broken)
Hinge - a pinch
vepambu dried - 1/2 tsp (optional)
poosanikai vathal/ kuzhambu vathal - 2 (broken)
Coconut oil/ cooking oil - 1tbs

Preparation:
Washing and cleaning the spincah is very important.
Separate the leaves and very tender stem from the bunch.
Soak in water in a big vessel for atleast 10 mins. Rinse well.
Slowly take out the leaves from the top of the water leaving the mud particles at the bottom. You may use strainer. Do this at least two time and then wash under running water once. Leave it for a while for the water to drain.

Method:

1. Cook the spinach in a vessel along with a cup of water, salt and hinge by stirring occasionaly.
2. Strain the remaining water in a vessel and take the spinach and just whip in once or twice in the mixer jar. You may use blender also.
3. Now transfer it to the vessel and clean the jar using the cooked water. 
4. Add rice flour and mix well. Boil it for once.
5. Season all the ingredients mentioned. This is the most important one. As much as possible have all the ingredients mentioned. This adds the flavor and taste.

Note: While whipping in care should be taken that the water is strained completely and whipped once or twice only. It helps to have spinach coarse.

9. parupilla araitha kuzhambu/ mangotai kuzhambu

Parupu illa kuzhambu      

Any vegetable that are used for making sambar like drumstick raddish etc can be used for this kuzhambu. Sour mangoes that are cut and dried in hot sun can be used instead of the vegetable. Even the mango seed (kottai) can also be used.

Ingredients:

Tamraind - 1 lemon size

Salt - 1tb

Turmeric powder - a pinch

For grinding:

Channa dal - 2tsb

Daniya seed - 2tbs

Red chilli - 8/9

Methi sedd- 1/4 tsp

Coconut (grated) - 2tbs

Hinge - a pinch

Oil - 1tsp

Seasoning:

Mustard seed - 1/2 tsp

Hinge - a pinch

curry leaves

Method:

1. Soak tamarind in hot water. Extract 4 cups of juice.
2. Cook the vegetable in tamrind extract adding salt and turmuric powder.
3. Heat the pan add the oil and roast all the ingredients mentioned for grinding except coconut till the dal turns brown
4. Grind roasted items and coconut into fine paste.
5. Mix with tamarind extract and allow it to boil for a minute.
6. Season the kzuhambu.

Note: If dried sour mangoes and thier seeds are used, size of the tamrind should be as that of a small lemon. Use more mango pieces. The seed coat can be broken to eat the seed inside. But the seed will be different taste like that of a betal nut.

8.verum kuzhambu

verum kuszhambu

The easiest and tastiest kuzhambu if the kuzhambu podi is a good one. We can use, brinjal, lady's finger, drum stick, raddish or poosanikai vathal for this kuzhambu. Along with keeria it is the tastiest dish. Can be kept for the next day.

Ingredients:

Sambar powder/ kuzhambu podi - 2 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Tamarind - 1 big lemon size
Hinge - a pinch
Turmeric powder - a pinch
salt - t tbs
Rice flower - 1  to 2 tbs.
Curry leaves
coriander leaves (optionsal)
Any one of the vegetable - few pieces

Seasoning:

oil - 2 tsp
Mustard -1/2 tsp
Urid dal - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli - 2 (broken)
Hinge - a pinch
curry leaves.

Method:

1. Heat the pan with oil and mustard seeds.
2. Add all the other ingredients given under seasoning except curry leaves after the mustard seed splutters.
3. Add the sambar powder and chilli powder and saute for a minute and add the curry leaves.
4. Extract the tamarind juice using 4 cups of water and add to the pan after it cools.
5. Add the sliced vegetable, turmeric powder, salt, hinge, curry leaves and boil.
6. After the vegetable is cooked add a thick paste of rice flour, Switch off the stove once the gravy just starts boiling. Do not boil for a long time.

Note: For poosanikai vathal, First fry the vathal using the oil, drain the oil and then use it for seasoning. Add few vathal while the kuzhabu is boiling. Add the rest of the vathal before serving. Crispy vathal will make it more tasty. If the consistency is thin, add more rice flower paste.