Month: January 2009

Kerala / Palakkad Recipes. · No Need of Onions!!! · Sambar / Rasam / Kuzhambu Varieties.

Keerai Molagootal – Spinach ground with coconut and spices and cooked with dal.

Shoba6 Comments

Keerai-molagootal

Keerai Molagootal has of course our “keerai” or spinach as the main ingredient. Spinach being known as a rich source of iron and calcium would figure in our menu at least twice a week. Whenever Amma used to make it she would be sure that there would be no problems as my sister and me loved it so much.  Madurai amma would get the keerai from the vendor fresh that morning and she would not hear of me getting it ahead of time from the freezer in FoodWorld. She would take the previous week`s newspaper, spread it all over the dining table and painstakingly seperate the weeds from the “keerai” and then the next process would be to wash it in the huge collander.She would wash it and then hand it over to me to chop it roughly.as they were anyway getting ground.  Here all I need to do is to open the box of Organic Baby Spinach leaves and hey pronto!!! We would do it in Madras with the “molai keerai” or the “are keerai”, but I replicate this recipe with collard greens. spinach or even broccolli.   When I was pregnant with S, my amma and patti would make keerai for me almost every alternate day. But one never gets bored as there are so many sides to go with it!!!

Keerai Molagootal is best served with “Chenai Arachu Kalakki”, or Vendekkai Thayir Pachadi, or Vendekkai/Kathirikkai Puli Pachadi, or Kadu Manga Arachu Kalakki or Inji Pulikachal or plain Lemon Pickle!!! Its the most versatile, easy, delicious and satvik preparation of spinach. .In fact many of my non-tamil  friends here swear by it.. Of course they have found a way to rehash it with lots more red chillis, buy hey…to each his own!!! Here is the recipe for you to try and relish.

INGREDIENTS:

Spinach          – A bunch/A box. Can also use the aforementioned “keerais” or the collard greens too!)

Toor Dal         – Cooked and mashed – 1/2 cup

Salt                   – To Taste.

Jeera               – A spoon

Coconut           – 5 Tbsps

Frying:

Broken Urad Dhal   – 2 Tsp

Red Chillis                  – 3 -4

PREPARATION:

  • Clean the spinach and cook in the microwave/stove with a few drops of water for 4 mins and grind to a fine paste.
  • Clean and cook the toor dhal so its mushy.
  • Roast the urad dhal and red chillis in a spoon of oil till the urad browns and set aside to cool.
  • Grind the urad dhal and red chilli with the coconut and jeera with a little water to a fine paste.
  • Take the kadai and simply pour the spinach paste, add salt and allow to cook.
  • Slowly stir in the ground coconut paste and mix well.
  • After a few minutes add the mushy toor dhal along with the water. Mix well now with a ladle and make sure that the whole mixture has a sambar like pouring consistency.
  • Season in a spoon of coconut oil (optional) with mustard and broken urad dhal.
  • Serve HOT with Vadu Maanga or Vendekkai Pachadi. or Nelikkai Oorga.
  • Hint:

Since there is a lot of caution on using coconuts, please feel free to vary this recipe by slightly increasing the toor dhal and reducing the coconut to that extent. The consistency has to be maintained as this is not as free flowing as rasam.

Keerai Molagootal & Nelikkai Oorga.
Keerai Molagootal & Nelikkai Oorga.

Snacks & Tiffin Items

Pidi Kozhukattai – Steamed rice dumplings.

Shoba19 Comments
Pidi Kohakattai with Tomato Gravy.
Pidi Kohakattai with Tomato Gravy.

Pidi Kozhukattai is one of the oldest tiffin items that I remember my grandmother Maduraiamma making for me when I would come from school all hungry and ravenous. I would be waiting to eat the lovely white steaming hot balls of rice, smelling of hing and coconut and  smother it well with her delicious  Molagai Podi dripping with Idhayam gingely oil. YUM!!!  Of course Madurai amma was always liberal with her use of coconut oil and coconut, but what I use is a definitely calorie scaled down version of the same. It`s very fast and simple and needs very little time for preperation. This is her recipe which she passed on to me through my amma, and here it goes for all of you…:)

INGREDIENTS:

Boiled Rice          -2 cups

Coconut               – 1/4 cup

Salt, Hing.

Seasoning:

Urad Dhal, Bengal Gram, Mustard, Curry Leaves,  Red Chillis.

PREPARATION:

  • Soak boiled rice for two hours along with 2 green chillis.
  • Grind coarsely in the mixie along with salt and green chiilis adding only adequate water.
  • Add 2-3 spoons of oil to a kadai. Then slowly add the urad dhal and  bengal gram and allow to wallow for a few seconds. When you begin to see them browning, add quickly the mustard and allow to splutter and finally add  the curry leaves, red chillis and hing.
  • Immediately add the ground rice mixture and the dessicated coconut to the seasoning in the kadai. Keep stirring for a few minutes till you see the rice mixture slowly getting cooked and growing harder.
  • When you find it comes to a soft “upma” consistency, switch off the stove.
Dumplings rolled and ready to be steamed.
Dumplings rolled and ready to be steamed.
  • Grease the idli plates and shape this “upma”  in to balls with your palms. Arrange the balls on the plates and stack the plates one above the other.
  • Steam the kozhukattais in the cooker just like the idlis – Switch on the stove on max till you see full steam and then simmer for 8 mins.
  • Switch off and allow to cool for 2-3 mins as the steam may harm your fingers.
  • Remove from plates and serve HOT with molagai podi or tomato chutney or hot tomato gravy.

Hint: This could be made more healthier by additionally soaking 1/2 cup of old fashioned oats along with the rice.  The oats does not alter the taste but you also get your daily dose of fibre. Another option is to add “Flax Seed” or Powdered Flax.

This is another of my entry to Monthly Mingle – Ravishing Rice started by Meetha.