Masicha Keerai (Mashed Spinach)

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:

1. Fresh greens (arai keerai or thandu keerai) – 2 or 3 bunches.
2. Red chillies- 3.
3. Hing (powdered) – ½ tea spoonful.
4. Black gram dhal – 1 spoon.
5. Oil to season – 1or 2 spoons.
6. Mustard seeds.
7. 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!

 

Chenaikkadi

I saw some Yams in the vegetable market today and another excellent dish that goes well with rice and sambar, came to mind. In Kerala we call it Chenaikkadi which is named after the main ingredient, the tuber Chenai - Tamil/Malayalam for Yam (suran in Hindi). Chenaikkadi is prepared out of Yam, moong dhal (greengram dhal) and coconut. This how I prepare it as taught by my mother.

Ingredients:

1. Yam – Half a kg, washed peeled, and cut into 1 inch cubes.
2. Green gram dhal – 1 cup .
3. Coconut gratings – 1cup or shreds from half of a medium sized coconut.
4. Green chillies – 3 to 4, cut into small pieces.
5. Raw ginger -1/2 inch sized cube peeled and cut into small pieces.
6. Asafoetida (hing) – 1 small piece of the size of a pea soaked in water or 1/2 teaspoon if powdered variety.
7. Turmeric powder- 1teaspoon.
8. Salt to taste.
9. Curry leaves – 2 to 3twigs.
10. Lemon juice – of 1 medium sized lime. 

Seasoning :

1. Cooking oil -1 or 2 spoon.
2. Urad dhal – 1spoon .
3. Bengal gram dhal-1spoon(optional).
4. Mustard seeds – 1spoon.

Preparation:

1. Wash and pressure-cook the moong dhal in 1cup of water adding 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder till two whistles. Mash nicely after removing from cooker and keep aside.
2. Cook the cut pieces of yam in another 2 cups of water, adding the remaining part of turmeric powder ( this can be done in a pressure cooker as well, adding just sufficient quantity of water, since some varieties of yam are hard to cook ).
3. When the yam gets cooked, add 1/2 a teaspoon of oil to facilitate the process and add the cut chilli and ginger pieces and continue to cook.
   Add salt, the mashed moong dhal, hing, curry leaves and 3/4th of the coconut gratings, when the yam pieces become soft. Allow to boil for 2 to 3 minutes on low heat, taking care not to burn it by stirring and adding a little bit of hot water to the required consistency.
4. Heat a frying pan for seasoning. Add one spoon of oil and when hot add the mustard seeds first. The urad and bengalgram dhals are to be added after the mustard seeds start spluttering, followed by the remaining coconut gratings, when the dhals turn golden brown. Add a few more curry leaves and saute in medium fire till the coconut gets fried till reasonably crispy.
5. Now the yam and dhal mixture is also ready. remove from fire, add the above seasonings to it along with the lemon juice . Leave for some time to set and serve hot with rice.

Cauliflower curry

I feel like posting the recipe of a dry side dish, after the liquid and semi liquid preparations posted earlier. This is how I prepare cauliflower (gobi) curry without the usual onion and peas as accompaniments.

Ingredients:

1. Cauliflower -1 of medium size
2. Moong dhal-2 table spoons
3. Grated coconut- 2tablespoons
4. Green chillies- 3 or 4
5. A pinch of powdered Hing or a small piece of hing dissolved in water
6. Juice of half lime
7. Salt to taste
8. Curry leaves -1 or 2 twigs
9. Coriander leaves,washed and cut- 1 or 2 sprigs
10. Mustard seeds- 1spoon
11. Urad dhal- 1 spoon.
12. Oil to season- 1table spoon.(maximum)
13. Turmeric powder -1 teaspoon

Preparation:

1. Wash the cauliflower florets thoroughly in a solution of a pinch of turmeric powder and salt in water. Wash and soak the moong dhal in water just enough to cover it.

2.Heat a frying pan and pour half of the oil. Add the mustard seeds . When they splutter, add a pinch of hing powder and the urad dhals and fry till golden yellow. Put a few curry leaves, saute and keep aside.

3.Slit the green chillies into two, and saute for a minute in the remaining oil add a cup of water, add the turmeric powder and cook the moong dhal in it till thewater is fully absorbed.

4.Now add the cauli flower florets in it while adding required quantity of water and cntinue to cook together along with the moong dhal stirring occasionally to avoid getting burnt. Add salt halfway.

5.When the water is finally absorbed, add the coconut gratings, stir well. Remove from heat. Add the seasonings already fried and cut coriander leaves. Pour the lemon juice, allow to stay for some time and mix well. Serve with rice and sambar.

Note: The florets can be pressure cooked with one whistle. and added to the moong dhal to save time. Care should be taken not to over cook the moong dhal and lemon juice should be added only after removing from fire.