Keerai Molagootal / Palakkad Style Spinach Lentil Curry
Palakkad Style Keerai Molagootal or Spinach lentil Curry is a Main Course Gluten Free Vegan No Onion No Garlic South Indian Recipe that is best eaten mixed with steamed rice, a side of potato roast and a glass of Jeera Milagu Rasam on the side. Comfort Food!
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 20 min
- Yield
- 3 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 3 cups Spinach or Palak (washed and roughly chopped) (1 large bunch of Rs. 20 yielded 3 cups of spinach (1 cup is 200 ml measurement))
- 1/2 cup Tur Dal or Arhar Dal (Washed twice and soaked for 15 minutes )
- 1 cup Water for cooking + More as required to adjust gravy consistency
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder or Haldi
- salt to taste
- FOR COCONUT GRAVY
- 1/2 cup Coconut roughly chopped into pieces (OR 3/4 cup of Grated coconut can be used )
- 2-3 nos. Whole Red Chillies (I have used Pondy Chillies for spice. )
- 1 tblsp Urad Dal
- 1 tsp Jeera or Cumin Seeds
- 1 tsp Coconut Oil
- 1/3 cup Water for Grinding
- FOR TEMPERING
- 2 tsp Coconut Oil
- 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds or Rai
- 1/2 tsp Urad Dal
- 1-2 nos Whole red chillies
Instructions
- 1
Wash and Soak the Toor Dal for 15 minutes
- 2
Wash, rinse and roughly chop the spinach leaves
- 3
Combine both the soaked dal and the spinach in a vessel for pressure cooking, add salt to taste and turmeric powder. Pressure cook until the dal is mushy.
- 4
In the meanwhile, lets prepare the coconut gravy mix by heating a pan, adding coconut oil, urad dal, jeera and whole red chillies.
- 5
Once urad dal turns slightly brownish in colour, add the grated coconut or coconut pieces. Saute for a few minutes, Switch off the flame, allow to cool
- 6
Once cool, Grind the above ingredients with some water into a thick paste.
- 7
Once the dal and spinach have cooked. Allow it to cool and then blitz itin a mixer grinder or hand blender.
- 8
Heat the dal spinach mixture on a low flame, add the ground coconut paste. Add salt to taste and mix well until the molagootal froths up. Switch off the flame and prepare for tempering.
- 9
Prepare the tempering by heating a small pan, adding oil, urad dal, mustard seeds and some red chillies. Pour the tempering over the molagootal and serve piping hot with rice and a dry poriyal.