KEERAI KUZHAMBU

 KEERAI KUZHAMBU 

Today's recipe has health-filled Spinach as the main ingredient. It is from Tamilnadu and is called "Keerai Kuzhambu" with Keerai meaning Spinach in Tamil. As you know, this leafy green veggie is called Palak in Hindi and Palak Soppu in Kannada.

It has been well- established that Spinach has many health benefits so I often make dishes using spinach. In my childhood days, we remember reading Popeye comics with the main character eating vast amounts of spinach!

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find different kinds of dishes made with spinach/palak, such as:-

• Palak Tambuli 
• Aloo Palak
• Dal Palak
• Tilwale Palak Aloo

I have adapted this recipe from  "Keerai Kuzhambu" from Subbu's Kitchen.

We tried this out the other day and felt it was very yummy. It goes well with hot steamed rice as well as with chapatis 

Ingredients:-

• Spinach (Keerai/Palak) 1 bunch
• Turmeric Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Tamarind, size of a small lemon
• Split Pigeon Peas ( Toor Dal), 3/4 cup
• Asafoetida, (Hing), 1/4 tsp
• Salt, to taste

To Be Roasted and Ground To A Paste: -

• Byadgi Red Chillies, 5
• Bengal Gram ( Chana Dal), 1 tbsp
• Coriander Seeds, 1 tbsp
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 3 tbsp -  not to be roasted 
• Oil, 1 tsp

For Seasoning:-

• Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp
• Coconut Oil, 1 tsp 

Method:- 

Wash the Toor Dal and pressure cook it along with adequate water and 1/4 tsp of turmeric for 3-4 whistles 

Once the cooker cools, remove the cooked dal, mash it and keep aside

Soak the tamarind in lukewarm water for 15-20 minutes, then extract the juice and keep aside

Remove the spinach leaves from their stems, wash thoroughly and chop them

Keep the chopped spinach in a vessel, add half cup of water  and 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder

Cook till the spinach gets done. Keep aside

Heat another pan, and on medium heat add Byadgi red chillies, chana dal, coriander seeds, and roast till the dal changes colour

Let it cool and transfer to a mixer jar

Add the fresh coconut gratings and grind to a smooth paste adding the required amount of water. Keep aside

In a vessel, boil the tamarind extract, along with asafoetida and salt till the raw smell of the tamarind goes

To this add the cooked spinach and mix well, bring to a boil. Next, add the mashed toor dal  and mix well

Now add the ground paste, mix well and bring to a boil. Lower the flame and let it simmer for a couple of minutes and switch off the gas

Heat the coconut oil in a seasoning pan and on medium heat add the mustard seeds

When they splutter, switch off the gas and add the seasoning to the Keerai Kuzhambu 

Transfer to a serving bowl and serve the Keerai Kuzhambu as an accompaniment for hot steamed rice.