Keerai Kootu recipe – a simple and easy South Indian style curry of greens and lentils. This kootu or thick stew has greens and dal with coconut giving it a good flavor.
I have used arai keerai for this kootu. You could also use other varieties of greens like spinach or mulai keerai.
Leafy green vegetables are very nutritious as they are rich in dietary fiber and iron. When combined with lentils they make for a healthy meal.
This keerai kootu is one of my favorite kootu varieties as the combination of dal and greens tastes delicious. It is also a great way to add greens to a lunch menu. While I usually prepare keerai kootu for lunch along with sambar or kara kuzhambu, this kootu goes well with chapatis also.
For other kootu recipes do check out murungakkai kootu | sorakkai mor kootu | cabbage kootu | mullangi keerai kootu recipe. Lets move on to the recipe for easy keerai kootu.
How to make Keerai Kootu step by step
- Pressure cook moong dal with turmeric powder in 1 1/4 cups water till it turns soft.
- Grind grated coconut along with cumin seeds and green chillies to a fine paste by adding water.
- Heat oil in a pan. Add seasonings. Then add chopped greens and saute for 2 minutes.
- Add cooked moong dal along with salt and 1/2 cup water. Simmer till the greens are cooked and gravy thickens a little.
- Add the coconut paste and simmer for another 4-5 minutes and remove from heat.
- Healthy keerai kootu is now ready to be served.
Keerai Kootu | Palak Kootu | Spinach Kootu Recipe
Keerai Kootu – Palak Kootu recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups finely chopped keerai ( palak or arai keerai or mulai keerai greens )
- 1/4 cup moong dal ( split yellow gram / pasi paruppu )
- 1/4 cup grated coconut
- 1-2 green chillies
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds ( jeera )
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp broken urad dal ( ulutham paruppu )
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- A few curry leaves
- 1 tsp oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash the greens thoroughly and chop them finely.
- Rinse moong dal. Pressure cook it along with turmeric powder in 1 1/4 cups water for 3 whistles or till it turns soft and mashed. Alternatively, boil the moong dal along with turmeric powder and enough water till it turns soft.
- Meanwhile grind grated coconut, cumin seeds and chopped green chillies into a fine paste by adding little water.
- Pressure cook or boil the moong dal with turmeric powder till it turns soft.
- Heat oil in a kdadai or pan. Add mustard seeds and when they splutter, add urad dal.
- When dal turns brown, add curry leaves and saute for a second.
- Add the chopped greens. Saute for 2 minutes.
- Then add the boiled moong dal. Add salt. Add 1/2 cup water and let the gravy simmer till the greens are cooked and gravy has thickened a little.
- Finally add the ground coconut paste. Let it simmer on low heat for 4-5 minutes and remove from heat.
- Keerai kootu is ready to be served.
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