கீரை சாம்பார் [MICROWAVE KEERAI சாம்பார்]

Ingredients:

Thuar dal- 1 1/2 cups
Finely chopped keerai- 3 cups
Chopped tomato- 2 cups
Chopped onion- 1 cup
Slit green chillies-4
Asafetida powder- half sp
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Turmeric powder- half sp
Oil- 3 tbsp
Chilli powder-1 tsp
Salt to taste
chopped coriander- half cup
Tamarind- a lime size

Procedure:

Soak the tamarind in a cup of water for half an hour and then extract its thick juice.
Soak the dal in water for half an hour. The water should be one inch above the dal. Then cook the dal on HIGH for 15 minutes. Sometimes it needs 20 minutes for some varieties of dal. Take care to check and mix in between. Take another bowl and pour the oil in it. Add the mustard seeds and cook on HIGH for 3 minutes. As the mustard seeds will splutter, take care to cover the bowl with a lid. When the mustard seeds splutter, take the bowl out and add the onions and the green chillies. Mix well and cook on HIGH for 3 minutes. Then add the tomatoes with the asafetida powder, coriander and the turmeric powder. Cook on HIGH for 5 minutes. Mix well in intervals. Add this to the cooked dal with the tamarind juice, keerai, chilli powder and enough salt. Cook it for 8 minutes on HIGH and mix well in intervals.

BABY CORN AND PALAK MASALA

Ingredients:

Bay corns- 1/2 kilo
Chopped palak- 2 cups
Crushed tomato-2 cups
Chopped onion- 1
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander leaves- 3 tbsp
Oil- 4 tbsp
Grind the following ingredients in to a fine paste:
Coriander powder-2 tsp
Chilli powder- 1 tsp
Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
Peppercorns- 10
Ginger- 1/2 tsp
Small garlic flakes-5

Procedure:

Blanch the spinach leaves in hot water. Remove, drain and puree in a food processor to a fine paste. Cut the baby corns into 1/2 inch pieces. Heat a pan and pour the oil. Saute the bay corns with the onion for a few minutes. Add the turmeric powder and the ground paste and fry for a few seconds. Then add the crushed tomatoes and fry for a few minutes. Add a little water and cook the bay corns until they become tender and the gravy is thickened. Add the ground palak with the coriander leaves. Cook the gravy until every thing is well blended.

KEERAI KUZHAMBU and SAMBAR

KEERAI KUZHAMBU:

Cook 3 cups of finely chopped keerai in ½ cup of milk with ½ sp cumin seeds and a green chilli. Mash the keerai finely. Soak a small lime-sized tamarind for 1 hour and then extract its juice. In a sp of ghee fry 3 red chillies, 1sp coriander seeds, 1sp Bengal gram,4sp shredded coconut , 1 small piece of asafoetida, 1sp black gram and ½ sp peppercorns to a golden brown color and then powder them finely. Heat a kadai and pour 4 tbsp gingelly oil. When the oil becomes hot add 1sp mustard seeds. When they splutter add ¼ cup of chopped onions and fry for a few seconds. Then add ½ cup of chopped tomatoes and 1sp turmeric powder. Cook well until the tomatoes are well mashed. Add the tamarind extract and the powder with enough salt. Let the kuzhambu simmer for some minutes. Then add the mashed keerai and allow it to simmer for only a few minutes.

KEERAI SAMBAR:

Soak a lime sized tamarind for 1/2 hour and then extract the juice out of it. Cook three handful of lentils in a pressure cooker. Pour enough oil in a vessel and heat it. Add 1sp mustards and when they splutter add 1 cup of chopped sambar onions, a small piece of asafoetida and 4 slit green chillies. When they become slightly brown, add 1 or 2 cups of chopped tomatoes and 1sp turmeric powder. Cook until the tomatoes are well mashed. Add the tamarind extract and allow it to simmer for some minutes. Then add the ooked dhal, finely chopped keerai with enough salt.Let the sambar simmer for a few minutes. Add 2tsp sambar podi and mix well. Turn the fire very low. Cook for a few minutes. Add curry leaves and chopped coriander leaves.the keerai should not change its green colour fully.
Sambar podi: Fry one handful of red chillies, 1tbsp Bengal gram, 2tbsp coriander seeds, 1sp fenugreek seeds, 8 peppercorn, 1/2 sp mustard seeds and 1 sp black gram for a few minutes to a light brown colour. When cooled, powder them.

MINT RASAM [புதினா ரசம்]

Ingredients:

Sambar onions – 6
Big tomato-1
Mint leaves- a handful
Tamarind- a gooseberry size
Thuar dal- ¼ cup
Red chillies-3
Pepeprcorns- ½ tsp
Coriander seeds- 2 tsp
Mustard seeds- ½ tsp
Cumin seeds- ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder- half sp
Oil- 1 tbsp

Procedure;

Boil the dal in the pressure cooker.
Soak the tamarind in a cup of water for half an hour and extract its juice.
In a tsp of oil fry the red chillies, coriander seeds and the peppercorns to golden brown.
Heat a pan and pour the oil.
Add the mustard seeds and when they splutter add the cumin seeds and fry for a second.
Add the sambar onions and fry them to golden brown.
Add the tomatoes with the turmeric powder and fry them until the tomatoes are mashed and the oil floats on the surface.
Add the mint leaves and fry for a few seconds.
Pour the tamarind juice with enough salt, 2 cups of water and the cooked dal.
When the rasam starts to boil, add the fried powder.
Mix well.
Again when the rasam starts to boil, put off the fire.
The tasty rasam is ready now!

KEERAI PORIYAL

This is a simple keerai poriyal. This can be prepared with other keerai varieties like mulai keerai, ponnaangkanni keerai and arai keerai. Adding coconut oil enhances the taste.



Ingredients:

Palak keerai- 1 bunch
Sambar onions- a handful
Garlic flakes-10
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander- 1 tbsp
Coconut oil- a few drops
Oil- 1 tbsp
Slit green chillies-2

Procedure:

Chop the keerai finely.
Also chop the sambar onions and the garlic flakes finely.
Heat a pan and pour the oil.
Add the chopped onions and garlic with the green chillies and fry them for a few minutes under medium fire.
Add the coriander and fry for a minute.
Then add the keerai and mix well.
Cook until they are shortened into a green mass and all the water in it evaporates.
Add the salt and coconut oil.
Cook for a few minutes.
Keerai poriyal is ready now!

KEERAI PARUPPU KOOTTU[கீரை பருப்பு கூட்டு]

Ingredients:
Keerai- 1 bunch
Chopped Small onions- half cup
Ripe tomato [chopped] – half cup
Cumin seeds- 1 sp
Peppercorns- half sp
Shredded coconut- half cup
Small garlic flakes-5
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder-half sp
Asafetida- half sp
Green gram or tuar dal- half cup
Chopped coriander- 2 tbsp
Gingelly oil- 3 tbsp
Chilli powder- ¼ sp
Coriander powder- ¼ tsp

Procedure:

Wash and chopp the keerai. Pressure cook the dal. Grind the coconut with the half of the cumin and the pepper corns to a fine paste. Heat a pan and pour the oil.
Add the remaining cumin seeds. When they splutter add the onions with the turmeric powder, asafetida, garlic flakes and the tomato. Cook them until the tomato is mashed well and the oil floats on top. Add the chopped keerai with quarter cup of water and the powders. When the keerai is half done, add the ground paste and the cooked dal.
Cook for a few minutes. The keerai should not loose its green colour. Add the chopped coriander and mix well.

The hot keerai koottu is ready now for serving.



Here I am going to post the traditional keerai koottu recipe which my mother, mother in law and grand mother prepared and fond of. For this, mulai keerai, arai keerai and ponnangkanni keerai are suitable.This is most suitable as a side dish for puli kuzhambu, vatral kuzhambu varieties.
This can be also had with ghee, hot steamed rice and potato fry!

KEERAI SALAD

KEERAI SALAD:
Cook 3cups of chopped keerai in a very little water and a little salt and then allow it to cool.

The cooked keerai must be dry without water.

Heat the kadai and pour 2tbsp oil.

Add ½ sp mustard seeds and when they splutter, add 1sp cumin seeds, 1sp chopped green chillies and 1sp chopped ginger.

Fry them over a slow fire and then add ½ cup chopped small onions, 1tbsp shredded coconut and a pinch of salt and fry them to a light brown colour.

Add this to the keerai with enough fresh curd and salt to make a thick salad

KEERAI KOOTU

KEERAI KOOTTU:

Ingredients:

Lentils- 3 handfuls

Oil-3 tbsp

Cumin seeds-1sp

Chopped onions- 1 cup

Slit green chillies-4

Chopped garlic-2 tbsp

Crushed tomatoes-2 cups

Salt to taste

Method:

Cook 3 handfuls of dhal in cooker.

Heat a kadai and pour 3tbsp oil. Add 1sp cumin seeds.

When they splutter, add 1 cup chopped onion, 4 slit green chillies, 1tbsp chopped garlic and 2 cups of chopped tomatoes.

Cook until all of them are well cooked and the tomatoes are well mashed.

When the oil comes on the surface, add the dhal and 3 cups of chopped keerai with enough salt.

Cook for some minutes.

KEERAI PARUPPU KOOTTU

KEERAI PARUPPU KOOTTU

Here I am going to post the traditional keerai koottu recipe which my mother, mother in law and grand mother prepared and fond of. For this, mulai keerai, arai keerai and ponnangkanni keerai are suitable.

Ingredients;

Keerai- 1 bunch
Chopped Small onions- half cup
Ripe tomato [chopped] – half cup
Cumin seeds- 1 sp
Peppercorns- half sp
Shredded coconut- half cup
Small garlic flakes-5
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder-half sp
Asafetida- half sp
Green gram or tuar dal- half cup
Chopped coriander- 2 tbsp
Gingelly oil- 3 tbsp
Chilli powder- ¼ sp
Coriander powder- ¼ tsp

Procedure:

Wash and chopp the keerai .
Pressure cook the dal.
Grind the coconut with the half of the cumin and the pepper corns to a fine paste.
Heat a pan and pour the oil.
Add the remaining cumin seeds.
When they splutter add the onions with the turmeric powder, asafetida, garlic flakes and the tomato.
Cook them until the tomato is mashed well and the oil floats on top.
Add the chopped keerai with quarter cup of water and the powders.
When the keerai is half done, add the ground paste and the cooked dal.
Cook for a few minutes.
The keerai should not loose its green colour.
Add the chopped coriander and mix well.
The hot keerai koottu is ready now for serving.
This is most suitable as a side dish for puli kuzhambu, vatral kuzhambu varieties.
This can be also had with ghee, hot steamed rice and potato fry!