KEERAI DHAL

INGREDIENTS:

Keerai     1 bunch
Toor dhal      1 cup cooked
Green chillies    4-5
Ginger        1/2" piece
Garlic         5-6 cloves
Tomato       1 no
Turmeric powder   1/4 tsp
Salt           to taste
For seasoning:
Mustard    1tsp
Jeera        2 tsp
Oil           3 tbsp

METHOD:

Clean the greens and chop them finely.
Heat oil in pressure pan and start seasoning with mustard and jeera.

Now add finely chopped ginger, garlic, onions and slit green chillies and saute them till soft.Add tomatoes and cook .

Add chopped greens, turmeric powder and saute for 2 mins. Add salt and cooked dhal.

Cook for one whistle.Open the lid and mash lightly with the wooden masher (mathhu).

Serve for steamed rice or chappathi.

NOTE: Any type of keerai can be used, but goes well for paruppu keerai, amarnath leaves and palak.Adding ginger gives an exotic flavour to the dish.

AMARANTH LEAVES PORIYAL

INGREDIENTS:
Amaranth leaves     1 bunch
Onion                  1 no
Green chillies       2-3 no
Moong dal         2 tbsp
Coconut grated   2 tbsp
Turmeric powder    a pinch
Mustard seeds  1/2 tsp
Urad dal, channa dal       1/2 tsp
Salt        to taste
Oil             2 tbsp
METHOD:
Clean and chop the amaranth leaves.Chop onions and slit green chillies.
Cook moong dal till soft.Drain water and keep aside.
Heat oil in kadai and add mustard seeds, urad dal and channa dal.
Add onions and green chillies and saute till soft.
Add chopped greens, turmeric powder and salt.Mix well.Cover and cook.
When the greens are cooked  and  the mixture is free from moisture, add moong dal and coconut.
Serve for lunch.

PARUPPU KEERAI KADAIYAL

INGREDIENTS:
Paruppu keerai  1 bunch
Toor dal            1/4 cup
Onion                1 no
Tomato             1 no
Green chillies     3 no
Garlic                5 cloves
Turmeric powder   1/4 tsp
Salt                     to taste
Oil                     1 tbsp
For Tempering:
Oil         1 tbsp
Mustard     seeds 1tsp
Urad dal            1 tsp
Garlic               1 clove (crushed with skin)
Red chilly         1 no
Curry leaves     few
METHOD :
Cook toor dal  with turmeric till soft.
Heat kadai  with a tbsp of oil and saute onions, tomato,garlic and green chillies.
Add chopped paruppu keeari and saute for a minute. Add the cooked dal and salt.
Cover and cook. The greens should not change its colour.It should retain till fresh green colour.
Cool the mixture and mash well with mathu and earth  bowl (satti).
Else grind in mixie using the pulse button. Dont grind to smooth paste.
Heat oil in kadai and temper with given items and  add to the keerai.
Serve for hot rice with ghee.
Actually keerai kadaiyal will taste more if had with a tsp of coconut oil rather than ghee.

KOTHAMALLI (CORIANDER) THOGAIYAL

INGREDIENTS :
Fresh coriander   1  cup (cleaned and roughly chopped)
Coconut              1/4 shell (grated)
Green chillies       4 no
Onion                 1 no
Tamarind            small gooseberry size
Salt                    to taste
Oil                     2 tbsp
METHOD :
Heat oil in kadai add green chillies and saute for a minute.Then add chopped onion and tamarind and fry till cooked.
Add the coriander leaves and saute in medium flame for about 2 to 3 mins and switch off the gas.

Add coconut and mix well in that heat itself.

Cool completely, add salt and grind to thick paste by adding very little water.

Note:  This thogaiyal has less ingredients and can be prepared in a jiffy. It tastes great when mixed with rice and accompanied by appalam.This doesnt suit for tiffin items.Donot saute for longer duration after adding the coriander leaves.

MURUNGAIKEERAI (DRUMSTICK LEAVES) KADAYAL

INGREDIENTS :
Drumstick leaves     1 cup
Toor dal                  1/4 cup
Urad dal                  2 spoons
Big onion                 1 chopped
Tomato                   1 chopped
 Green chillies          2 -3 no
Garlic                      1 No
Turmeric powder     1/4 tsp
Pepper                    1 tsp
 Jeera                      2 tsp
Oil                          2 tbsp
Salt to taste          
METHOD :
Heat 1 tsp of oil and fry both toor dal and urad dal lightly.Saute onion, tomato, garlic, turmeric powder  and green chiilies. Add to the dal and cook in pressure cooker. Add the cleaned drumstick leaves and cook till the leaves are soft.
Mash well with a masher (mathu).
Dry fry both pepper and jeera and crush lightly. Add to the dal.Check for salt.
Season with mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves with 1 tbsp oil.
Serve with white rice.
Note: Pepper and jeera gives a unique aroma to the dish. This dish consumes very little oil.

MANATHAKKALI KEERAI THANI SAARU

This saaru can be had with rice or as a soup. Manathakkali keerai is very good for mouth ulcers and stomach ailments.
INGREDIENTS :
Manathakkali keerai     1 bunch
Tomato            1 no
Cooked toor dal           1/4 cup
Turmeric powder    1/2 tsp
Salt           to taste
Grind Coarsely :
Small onion       6 nos
Pepper             2tsp
Sombu(saunf)   2 tsp
Jeera                1tsp
Coconut(grated)   1 tbsp
Seasoning:
Oil           1 tbsp
Mustard seeds, urad dal   each 1 tsp
Red chilly   1 no
Method:
Heat kadai  add coarsely  ground paste, chopped tomato, cooked dal, turmeric powder and salt. Add 2 glasses of water and close with a lid. Allow to boil in low flame for abour 10 mins.
Meanwhile clean the leaves. Dont chop them.
Add the leaves to the soup and  boil till the leaves are cooked.
Heat  a small kadai and season it.
Serve hot with rice or enjoy  as a soup.

PARUPPU KEERAI KOOTU

Paruppu keerai        1 bunch
Toor dal                  1/2 cup (cooked)
Big onion                 1 (finely chopped)
Garlic                       1 (chopped)
Green chillies            3 No
Tomato                     1 N0
Turmeric powder      a pinch
Oil                            3 tbsp
Salt to taste
Seasoning:
Mustard seeds    1 tsp
 jeera                  3 tsp
hing and curry leaves .
METHOD :
Chop the paruupu keerai.
Heat  oil in kadai and add the seasoning items one by one.
Add onions, garlic, green chillies and saute till the onions are  half cooked. At this stage add chopped tomatoes.
Add turmeric powder and salt and cook till the tomato is soft.
Add keerai and fry for about 2 mins. Add the cooked dal and cook till the keerai is cooked.
Serve with rice or chappathi.