After a long summer break, I am back. Due to travel and other pre-occupations, I could not update this blog. Today, I begin with a very simple preparation of greens (spinach, keerai in Tamil) as a side dish which is very easy to prepare.
Ingredients:
- Fresh greens (arai keerai or thandu keerai) – 2 or 3 bunches.
- Red chillies- 3.
- Hing (powdered) – ½ tea spoonful.
- Black gram dhal – 1 spoon.
- Oil to season – 1or 2 spoons.
- Mustard seeds.
- Salt to taste.
Procedure:
1. Clean and wash the greens in water. Care should be taken to wash the greens thoroughly in a vessel containing water at least twice. Allow the water to drain and mince. Cook the greens in a vessel in just sufficient quantity of water for about 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Add salt and the hing and remove from fire. Mash the cooked greens thoroughly till they become soft and pasty. This should be done when it is still hot. A traditional wooden churning rod called keerai mathu can then be used to mash the greens.
3. Heat a frying pan, pour the oil and when the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, urad dhal and the red chillies broken into pieces. Sauté till the the urad dhal turns into golden brown and pour into the cooked greens.
This dish is known as keerai masiyal and goes well with rice and vaththa kuzhambu, as well as uppuchar. Hope you enjoy it!
Posted by Muthu 
