12. Keerai kuzhambu

Keerai kuzhambu

It is a simple side dish for lunch that goes with any fried vegetable curry like brinjal, kovaikai, sepangkhangu, lady's finger, potato and carrot. Mulai keerai/ arai keerai/ siru keerai can be used. Lettuce can also be used.

Ingredients:

Toor dal - 1 cup 

Tamarind - 1 big lemon size.

Green chilli - 7

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Hinge - a pinch

Salt - 1tbs

Keerai - 1 bunch (kattu)

Seasoning:

Sesame oil - 1tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Channa dal -1/2 tsp

Urid dal - 1/2 tsp

Red chilli - 4

Methi seeds - 1tsp

Hinge - a pinch

Method:

1. Clean the greens and soak in water for 10 minutes and rinse twice and cut into small pieces.

   

   
   
   
   
   
2. Pressure cook toor dal with turmeric powder and hinge. Smash well and keep aside.
3. Soak Tamarind in hot water and extract the syrup.
4. Season all the ingredients add tamrind water and greens (keerai).
5. Cut the green chillies in length wise and add to the tamarind water. Allow it boil till the leaves are cooked.
   
   
   
6. Add smashed toor dal and allow it boil. If the consistency is watery add rice flour paste to thicken.

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.

5. Maakootal or milagoottal

5.       Milagootal or makkootal

Spinach/keerai (mulai keerai, manathakali keerai, parupu keerai, pasalai keerai and ponanganni keerai) are the best for this dish. Cabbage, beans, chow chow, snake guard and other vegetables used for plain kootu can be used.
Ingredients:
Keerai/ spinach - 1 bunch
Thoor dal/moong dal - 1/2 cup
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
pepper - 5
cumin seed/jeera - 1tbs
optional urid dal- 2tsp
Red chilli - 1
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt - 1tbs
For tempering
Coconut oil/cooking oil - 1tbs
Mustard seeds - 1/2tsp
urid dal - 1/2 tsp
cumin seeds - 1/2tsp
Broken red chilli - 1
Asafoetida - a pinch
Curry leaves
Method:

1.       Clean the spinach and chop into very small pieces and cook adding salt and turmeric powder.

2.       Pressure cook thoor dal adding a pinch of turmeric powder and asafetida.

3.       If you used urid dal, fry it with cumin seeds and pepper in dry pan and grind it with coconut. If you do not use urid dal grind the rest of the items raw.

4.       Smash the dal well .Mix all the three well and boil it for a 2 seconds. If the consistency is thin add rice flour.

5.       Temper all the items given under seasoning in oil.
Note: This is makes a best combo with vathakuzhambu. This can be used as a main gravy with ghee rich and pickles can be used as a side dish.
It is a good side dish for chappathi.