Keerai (greens) Kootu - vegan south Indian accompaniment

 Keerai is the Tamil name for Green Leafy vegetables in general . Spinach is known as palak keerai , fenugreek is known as Vendhiya Keerai , Amaranthus is known as Arai Keerai , Dill Leaves is known as Soi Keerai ,Drumstick leaves as Murunga keerai so on and so forth.

We all know how healthy and beneficial is the inclusion of greens in our daily diet . So pls do make it a point to include greens as a part of diet atleast once or twice a week  . Of course please exercise caution and consult your Doctor if greens need to be  avoided due to underlying medical conditions.

I am very fond of keerai sambar, keerai masiyal and keerai kootu in south indian cuisine whereas in North Indian cuisine my favorites are Dal Palak,Palak Paneer , Methi theplas, Palak Paratha which feature frequently on our meals regularly. 

Keerai kootu has been my childhood favorite and I would eat this almost everyday as a little girl . The mild sweetness from the cooked moong dal blends well with the coconut jeera paste and cooked palak and the final tempering of mustard in coconut oil simply elevates the flavor profile of the kootu.  You can pair it with some delicious sambar rice or mix this kootu with some steamed rice and ghee and enjoy as is.   You can use any variety of keerai for this kootu,but I personally love palak.  I don't like Methi in kootu as it imparts a slightly bitter taste to the kootu which puts me off.

The green Leafy vegetables need to be cleaned very well before using.  There may be a chance of lot of weeds or some rotten leaves hidden in the bunch . I am sharing a detailed video on how to clean the green Leafy vegetables at ease.  If the stems are tender,I chop them finely and use it too while making the kootu.

If you are a lover of exotic greens, then Baby Bokchoy and Shitaake stir fry by Preethi will be the best choice.  I was paired with Preethi for August's Theme of Leafy Greens theme suggested by Seema of Mildly Indian.

A simple lunch platter of keerai kootu, jeera pepper rasam and beetroot curry with fried papads. (Pic updated on Nov 5th 2024)

Preparation Time - 15 mins
Cooking Time - 20 mins
Serves - 2 to 3 

Complexity - easy

Ingredients 

2 small bunch spinach/palak 
1.5 cup cooked moong dhall
1/4 cup grated coconut 
1tsp jeera
1/2 tsp pepper
2 to 3 dry red chillies / 1 tsp red chilli powder 
2 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp mustard seeds 
1/2 tsp udad dhall
Pinch of asafoetida
Salt as needed 

Method 

• Clean and wash the spinach  bunch well . Finely chop the palak and cook it well . No need to pressure cook .you can cook it in regular open pot until the raw flavor is lost. Use a heavy bottomed pan always.
• Grind the coconut, jeera ,pepper, red chillies to a fine paste with sufficient water.
• Once the palak is cooked, add this coconut paste,bring it to a rolling boil and then add the cooked moong dhall .
• Ensure the cooking is on medium flame and you are stirring constantly to avoid burning . Moong dhall and coconut paste will stick to the pan very quickly.
• Once the kootu reaches a rolling boil,turn off and prepare a tempering of mustard, udad dhall and asafoetida in coconut oil and pour it over the kootu . Relish the kootu with rice and papads. 

Brussel Sprouts Spinach Cheela (Vegan Breakfast)

 Cheela or Besan ka cheela is a popular brekfast  in North India made from gramflour known as Besan . There are many variants in making cheela ,can be plain with just basic spices used for flavoring or we can add in some finely chopped veggies and make it a healthier version .

Cheela makes for a very filling breakfast and also a perfect lunch box option.  Gramflour is certainly a magic ingredient which makes the recipe absolutely delicious and tasty . This morning it was raining and chilly making us want to indulge in something that would pep us up for the day and we dint want to have anything deep fried ,so that's how this healthy breakfast was made .

I generally make Tomato Omlettes which are a very popular Street food in Bombay, today this cheela was kind off fusion recipe where I used finely chopped Brussel Sprouts and spinach in the recipe. I used my mini  uttapam pan to make bite sized cheelas just for fun and fancy sake but you can always use the regular dosa pan to make them . If you don't have Brussel sprouts you can also used finely chopped cabbage mixed to the batter.

Brussel sprouts belong to the cabbage family and very popular in western countries.  Brussel sprouts are a good source of vit C and vit K . Exercise medical caution if you are on any kind of medication or blood thinners before using Brussel sprouts . Also,they have a slightly strong odor and turn rubbery when over cooked ,hence donot overcook and keep and eye while cooking 

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Cooking Time - 20 mins

Complexity - simple

Serves - 3 to 4

Ingredients 

2 cups gramflour/besan

2.5 cups water 

2 tsp red chilli powder 

1 tsp crushed ajwain /carom seeds

1 finely chopped green chilli 

1/2 cup Brussel sprouts finely chopped 

1/4 cup spinach finely chopped 

Handful of corriander and mint finely chopped 

Salt as needed

Finely grated ginger 

Pinch of asafoetida 

Oil to roast the cheelas

Method

• In a wide mixing bowl prepare a lump free batter using the gramflour. 
• Add the red chilli powder, salt, asafoetida,ginger, crushed carom seeds, chopped Brussel Sprouts, spinach and the mint + corriander and mix well.
• Adjust salt and spices if needed and let the batter rest for 15 mins . The batter should be of pouring consistency like that of dosa batter. 
• Heat the pan and pour the batter from center and slightly spread it outside.  Keep it slightly thick and don't spread it too thin. 
• Drizzle oil around the cheela and let it cook on medium flame . Gramflour takes a while to cook,so don't rush into flipping it over .
• Once the top side appears dry,carefully flip it over and cook the underside .
• Take it off the pan and serve it with tomato ketchup or green chutney.  You can also grate some cheese or slather some butter when serving it to kids.  

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South Indian Lunch - Thali #5

 A wholesome and piping hot lunch is always a pure bliss on a weekend day. 

Today's menu is a family favorite and no one will fuss over any item and I also don't have to think of different options to please everyone at home .

I got some really fresh and tender veggies delivered through Deep Rooted Co , an online app and I was excited and tempted to use all the veggies especially the Spinach which was just too good . I am very happy to get such tasty vegetables and the best part was the Spinach was so clean and I dint have to spend a lot of time cleaning the roots and removing weeds. This is not a sponsored post ,but if you are looking for farms fresh vegetables and fruits to be delivered at door step,pls do try this app.

So the lunch menu was planned in  the best possible way to include all our family favorite vegetables

Peerthangai Paruppu | Ridge gourd lentil curry 

Kos Pattani Poriyal | Cabbage Peas Stir fry

Keerai Masiyal / Blanched & mashed Spinach 

Tomato Rasam  served with  piping hot rice and  usual accompaniment of curd or buttermilk.

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Keerai Masiyal | Blanched & Mashed greens - Vegan , Satvik & GF

 Keerai Masiyal is a typical Tamil Brahmin recipe and is almost loved by everyone .  In Tamil Keerai is used to refer to Green leafy vegetable and Masiyal means mashed, in short Keerai Masiyal means Mashed Greens.

Winter is the time when  we get fresh greens of all sorts and we all like to use them as much as possible in our cooking. Keerai Masiyal is a common recipe and will feature regularly in many homes .

I have used spinach/palak in my recipe while this can be made with "Mullai keerai"  "Arai keerai" as well..these greens are available in plenty in Southern India.  

Just as Khichdi, Achar  papad & dahi  is a sought after combination and a soulful meal for North Indians, Tamilians swear by Vethakuzhambu , Sutta Appalam & Keerai Masiyal . The essence and emotional feel will be lost if I go into the depth of translation, but for the benefit of my readers , it is a combination of roasted papads , a tamarind based gravy and blanched mashed greens.   Do try this combination and I promise you will fall in love with this delicacy .

Keerai Masiyal is power packed with all nutrients and doesn't involve too much oil or cooking . The best part of the recipe which infuses and adds a whole lot of aroma and flavor to this dish is the tempering made out of coconut oil . So pls do not skip on this coconut oil tempering if you want to experience the original taste of how it is savored and relished in a typical TamBrahm home.  

This is a perfect home style simple meal which we crave for and relish when we are back home after vacationing and eating lot of outside food .Helps in detox of the gut . In winters this rustic meal is frequently prepared as it is easy to digest and also keeps the immune system boosted up. 

Traditionally the blanched greens used to be mashed using a hand masher which used to be a special tool in every household to mash the greens or even cooked dhall.  It would take a while to mash the greens manually as the process was relatively laborious and time consuming.  In modern times , we can use the pulse mode in our blenders or food processors and achieve the same texture in no time .

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With winter setting in the Northern hemisphere, Preethi suggested we share Winter delicacies for our monthly Shhh Secret cooking challenge foodie group and stay tuned to have a virtual treat of lipsmacking winter special recipes from my co bloggers . Preethi has  recently shared her family favorite delicious Gongura  Koora (sorrel leaves curry) which is a must try if you relish the slight tanginess present in the Gongura.  This month my partner was Anu Kollon who blogs at "Entethattukada" and I must say her blog has some unique traditional kerala recipes.  She gave me spinach and green chillies as secret ingredients for the theme.  With the secret ingredients that I shared with her , Anu has dished out a lipsmacking radish chutney using radish and mustard ; the secret ingredients that I gave her .

Preparation Time - 15 mins
Cooking Time - 10 mins
Serves 2 to 3 
Complexity - simple

Ingredients 
3 medium bunches of spinach/palak
2 green chillies 
1/4 tsp jeera 
2 tablespoon fresh grated coconut 
2 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp udad dhall 
1/2 tsp chana dhall 
1 dry red chilli 
Salt as needed 

Method 

• Chop the roots of the spinach and remove all the weeds , rotten leaves and stems . Wash them under running water multiple times to remove all the mud . You can also soak them in salt and turmeric water for a while to clean .
• If the stems are very tender and soft use it along with the leaves for blanching else discard the hard stems because they will be very chewy.

• Roughly chop the leaves , add sufficient water , pinch of salt , green chillies, jeera and blanch the spinach until it is soft and the raw smell is lost . Cool it completely. 
• Strain the water and add these blanched leaves to a mixie /blender alongwith the grated coconut and pulse it till it appears coarse . Donot grind it to a fine paste.  The strained water can be used in any other cooking instead of discarding. 
• Prepare a tempering of mustard,  channa dhall , udad dhall in coconut oil and lastly fry the red chilli and pour it over the mashed spinach. Delicious keerai Masiyal is ready .

Some more healthy recipes using Spinach which you may want to try 

• Palak Paratha 
• Dal Palak
• Palak Paneer (No Onion Garlic) 
• Palak Paneer 
• Aloo Palak (oil free)

Palak Paneer | Cottage Cheese in Spinach Gravy (No Onion No Garlic)

Palak Paneer absolutely needs no introduction. A very very healthy and nutritious recipe with the loaded health benefits of Palak/ Spinach and Paneer.
 By now as all of you must be aware ,I concentrate on presenting recipes as  No Onion No garlic versions, so for this Palak Paneer recipe ,I have used cashew paste to add to the richness of the gravy and also a mild nutty and sweet flavor.

Preparation Time : 20 mins
Cooking Time : 15 mins
Complexity : Simple

Palak Keerai Sambar /( Spinach) Greens Sambar

Keerai / Greens are very rich in nutrients and a very good source of iron and potassium.Inclusion in daily diet is recommended. There are different varieties of greens available in the market depending on your region . In Northern India Palak(spinach), Sarson (mustard leaves) and Methi (fenugreek) are in abundance and used widely  while in Western and Southern parts of India greens like Dill , Moringa , Red and Green Amaranth along with methi and palak are used. 

Care must be taken to wash and clean the greens very well. Make sure you wash and drain the greens before you cut them. Run them under running water and wash well until the leaves look clean and green. Here is a quick video on how to clean and wash the greens posted on my YouTube Channel..If you still haven't subscribed to my channel, pls do it right away . 

How to clean and wash  Green Leafy Vegetables? 

Palak Sambar or Keerai Sambar has been my favorite since childhood ..I love to eat keerai sambar with rice, roti, dosas and even idlis .The best combination with palak Sambar is Raagi Mudde . Ragi mudde is a delicacy in Karnataka made from finger Millet/Nachni.  Popularly known as mudde and soppu saaru/huli. Soppu means Green Leafy vegetables in Kannada .

Keerai Sambar can be made with or without onions .If you are making during some special days like Amavasya , Pithru Paksh , Ekadashi then skip the onions and follow the rest of the recipe as is.  I make this sambar both ways depending on the mood,time and the occasion.

 

This recipe of keerai sambar uses palak /spinach as the main ingredient.  Alternatively, one can use moringa leaves,  Amaranth leaves and also methi leaves to make Sambar.  I shall upload those recipes too as and when I make them . Until then you may try Keerai Masiyal and Keerai Kootu ,both traditional recipes from Tamil Nadu which are simple to make at the same time you will literally be licking your fingers wanting for some more .

The entire post and write up except the recipe has been updated with new  and better pictures which will help in better SEO . This recipe was one of my earliest posts way  back in 2012 - 2013 .I hope you all like this recipe and enjoy making it for your family .

Preparation Time : 20 mins
Cooking Time : 30 mins
Serves : 2-3

Ingredients

1 bunch Palak  (roughly 300 gms).
1/2 cup thoor dhall / pigeon peas /thuvaram paruppu
small sized tamarind ball
1 medium sized onion chopped (optional)

1 medium tomato chopped 
2-3 tbsp Sambar Powder
2-3 tsp fresh grated coconut
1 tsp grated jaggery
pinch of turmeric
Tempering
Mustard seeds.
pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp ghee/clarified butter (skip for vegan)
Or 

2 tsp cooking oil 

Method

• Pressure cook the thoor dhall with a pinch of turmeric until soft and mushy.
• Wash and chop the greens finely.
• Soak the tamarind in warm water and extract the juice.
• Grind the sambar powder and coconut into a fine paste with a little water.
• Heat a  little oil in a kadai,and saute the onions until light pink. (Skip this step if not using onions and jump to next step)
• Put the greens ,chopped tomatoes and saute.
• Pour the tamarind water,add a cup of water,salt,jaggery and bring to a boil until the raw flavor of spinach and tamarind is lost .
• Slowly,add the masala paste and boil till the  raw smell of the coconut is gone .Takes hardly 1 minute.Donot boil the coconut mixture more as it may start to disintegrate and will spoil the texture of Sambar. 
• Finally,add the boiled thoor dhall ,lower the flame and bring to a rolling boil.
• Prepare the seasoning using ghee or oil and mustard seeds and pour it all over.
• Serve hot with steamed rice and a little ghee and some fried/roasted fritters /papad. I normally pair this with Potato Stir fry . It is a super hit combination. 

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Dal Palak / Spinach Lentil Gravy

Palak Dal or Dal Palak is a very comforting side dish for plain rice,rotis (Indian Flat Bread) or any flavored rice.

Dal Palak is a very popular and frequently ordered item at the restaurants . It tastes really delicious when mixed with hot steamed rice and ghee . An absolute comfort and nutritious meal option which can be made quickly without any complex preparations.  I love to have palak dal with rice more than rotis . I feel when mixed with rice or jeera rice, the flavor of palak dal is even more evident and enjoyable .

Spinach is a powerhouse of nutrients and vitamins and we don't need any special introduction to the health benefits of consuming spinach/palak on a regular basis . Kids generally detest from having greens on a regular basis but we can always incorporate palak in our meals in various ways so that it doesn't get boring. 

I try to use palak in different ways like Sambar , keerai masiyal , parathas and all time favorite palak paneer or Aloo Palak .

The hot tempering of cumin seeds and red chilli powder when mixed with the palak dal ,the dal gets a fantastic flavor ,aroma and a beautiful color from the chilli powder fried in oil 

Preparation Time : 15 mins
Cooking Time : 30 mins
Serves : 2-3

Ingredients
1/2 cup thoor dal / split yellow pigeon peas
2 cups packed chopped spinach
1 tomato chopped
1 medium sized onion chopped (optional) 
ginger finely chopped
1 tsp garlic paste (optional) 
3-4 green chillies chopped
1 tsp ghee / cooking oil  
1 tsp cumin/jeera seeds
2 dry red chillies

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

pinch of turmeric
salt

Note - 

• Skip the onion and garlic if you are making a Saatvik version or No Onion No garlic version of dal palak.
• Skip ghee for vegan diet followers 
• To make it Jain friendly ,donot use ginger ,onions and garlic .

Method

• Wash the toor dal well under running water and clean it thoroughly.
• In a pressure cooker,add the dal,chopped spinach/palak,onion,tomato,ginger,garlic paste,turmeric with sufficient water and pressure cook for about 2 -3  whistles or until the dal is cooked well.(Soft and mushy).
• Wait until the pressure is released and then open slowly and stir well. Add the required amount of salt. Mash the dal using a masher once to get a nice consistency. 
• If the dal is still watery ,you can boil in the same cooker for about  3-4 mins until the excess water is reduced.
• Prepare the seasoning using ghee and cumin seeds and pour over the dal and serve hot with rotis or rice.  Add the chilli powder to the hot oil after turning off the stove.  This will prevent the chilli powder from burning and retain the bright red color .
• If you like the flavor of garlic ,you can fry one small clove of garlic finely chopped while frying the cumin seeds .

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Palak Paratha /Spinach Flat Bread

For all the Paratha lovers out there,another simple,tasty,colorful and healthy version of parathas. A great hit among kids who don't like to have greens as a part of their meal,this is the best way to incorporate it in their lunch or dinner . Good for people with Diabetes as it contains just wheat flour and spinach. This can also be a part of lunch box for kids with curd or some ketchup.

" Sending this to HITS – Diabetic friendly and HITS page"  

Preparation Time : 15 mins
Cooking Time : 10 mins
Serves : 2-3

Jain Version : Skip the ginger and follow the recipe as is

palak Paratha/Spinach Flat Bread

Palak Paneer | पालक पनीर - winter special

Palak Paneer is an Indian recipe made using Palak (Spinach) & Paneer ( Indian Farmer's cottage cheese ).

Palak is available all round the year,but the palak we get in winter is very tender and tasty. So ,I definitely look forward to winters to make this delicious palak Paneer gravy.  Tonight for dinner we polished off creamy palak Paneer with soft and hot fulkas . It was soothing and something we needed to ward off the chillness .

There are many ways to make palak Paneer,but I follow this simple and quick recipe which never fails me . I also have a no Onion No garlic recipe on the blog. The link is marked here , No Onion No garlic paneer palak 

I keep the spices very minimal to bring out the flavor of palak . Onions and cashews blanched with the palak,give a creamy texture to the gravy . The subtle sweetness from onions and cashews enhance the taste making palak Paneer very delicious. 

Avoid using spinach or any green leafy vegetables during monsoon. It is possible that due to rains ,the leafy grains may contain some bacteria which is not good for the stomach and we may end up with a stomach bug.

My friends love my palak Paneer a lot and it was always on my cook list when we used to host a lot of friends during our stay in the US. Hubby's office colleagues, who are Americans loved palak Paneer so much that they asked hubby to get it for a potluck event at their company. 

What more is needed for a passionate cook ,other than these appreciation? I was on cloud 9 and am still feeling nostalgic as I am typing it. 

I  had posted this recipe in my early days of blogging, sometime in 2013 when I used to have a small digital camera using which I used to shoot my photos. Editing tools weren't so easily available and lack of knowledge, I had posted all raw and amateur images . As I am working on my old posts these days ,I have updated the post with a collage of step wise recipe progress and a few decent final photos of the recipe.  

Updated in December 2024 

Original posting - Feb 2013

Preparation Time : 25 mins

Cooling Time - 15 to 20 mins 
Cooking Time : 20 mins
Serves - 2-3

Ingredients

250 grams Palak / Spinach 
100 grams Paneer
1 onion chopped
2 - 3 Green chillies
1tsp ginger garlic paste 
1 tsp cumin seeds
Salt as per taste
1/4 tsp sugar.
Few cashews 
Whole spices
1tsp jeera 
Small stick cinnamon 
3 cloves
2 cardamom

Method

• Clean the spinach leaves and wash it under running water.Drain the spinach in a colander.
• In a heavy bottomed vessel blanch the spinach leaves,onions, cashew and green chillies. Add salt and sugar, this will retain the green color and not fade.
• Cool it completely .
• In a blender add the blanched spinach,ginger garlic paste ,handful of fresh corriander and grind into a fine puree.
• Cut the paneer into small cubes and keep aside soaked in warm water .Drain the water before frying the paneer.
• Shallow fry the paneer cubes in a little oil till they turn a little brown
• Heat a little oil in a vessel,add cumin seeds,cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.Roast the whole spices on low flame till the flavors seep into the oil.
• Add the spinach puree to the pan and cook for a few minutes. 
• When the gravy begins to bubble, add the paneer cubes to the gravy and cook for about 2 mins
• Donot cook much after adding the paneer, else the paneer Will turn hard and rubbery. 
• You can add some fresh cream just before serving. 
• Serve hot with rotis,naan or steamed rice.

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