Keerai Thandu kootu and Keerai Masiyal

This has to be the greenest way to prepare greens – zero waste, low oil and no sugar. And I get this strange satisfaction of having used up the entire vegetable very prudently. What would be funny is if my family as usual doesn’t see the beauty of the whole green theory and shuns it, and at the end of the day, having stuffed myself as much as I possibly could, I end up throwing out the rest. Stowing it in the fridge is worse than throwing it out. Ordinary leftovers turn into toxic waste. Who knows when we’ll discover it again and throw it out.

The stalks (Keerai thandu) of the greens taste great in a kootu. I am not an avid Kootu eater but I can vouch for this kootu. This kootu is a smooth, warm and comforting side with rice with lovely perfectly balanced flavours. The Keerai thandu retain a nice crunch and are packed with nutrients. The Keera Masiyal is easy enough for weekday lunches and my kids surprisingly are fond of rice and Keerai Masiyal. Strange that they like something good! While making the Keerai masiyal for kids, skip the green chillies entirely or reduce the quantity.

Prep time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients for the Kootu

Keerai (Greens – Mulai Keerai) – stems from 1 bunch of greens chopped fine
Channa dal/Kadalai paruppu – ½ cup
Onion – 1 chopped fine
Tomato – 1 chopped fine
Ginger Garlic paste – 2 tsp
Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp

Ingredients for the Masiyal

Keerai (Greens – Mulai Keerai) – Leaves picked from 1 bunch
Shallots – 5 chopped fine or 1 onion chopped fine
Tomato – 1 chopped fine
Garlic – 4 whole cloves
Tuvaram paruppu/Toor dal – ½ cup
Green chillies – 2 slit lenthwise
Salt to taste

Tempering for Masiyal

Oil – 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Whole dry red chillies – 2-3 broken in halves
Garlic cloves – 3 crushed roughly

Method

1.      Pick the leaves and dump them in a bowl filled with water. Rinse the greens by moving them around in the bowl. Then lift the greens out, you’ll see the mud settled at the bottom of the bowl. Press the greens lightly to drain them and then set aside.

2.      Wash the stalks separately and then chop them fine.

3.      For the Keerai Masiyal, in a pressure cooker, combine the Toor dal with the chopped shallots, tomato, green chillies, garlic cloves and turmeric powder. Add sufficient water and pressure cook till soft.

4.      Once cooked, mash the dal mixture well. Then add the washed and drained leaves to the cooker, mix well and close with an upturned cooker lid. Cook on low till the greens are wilted and cooked through about 10-12 minutes. Make sure to open once or twice in between to stir it around. It is not necessary to add any water while adding the greens.

5.      When the leaves are cooked through, remove from fire and let cool. Add salt and mix well. When cool enough to handle, use a wooden churner to roughly mash the Keerai mixture. Alternately, you can give it a 2-3 second blitz in a mixer grinder/blender to mash the keerai. Transfer the Keerai masiyal to a bowl.

6.      In a small kadai/skillet, add oil for tempering. When hot, add the cumin and roughly crushed garlic. Shortly after, add the whole dry red chillies. Stir around till the garlic browns. Remove from fire and dump over the Keerai masiyal. Mix well.

7.      For the Keerai thandu kootu, take channa dal in a pressure cooker along with salt, turmeric powder and water and pressure cook till soft. Set aside.

8.      In a kadai/skillet, heat oil and when hot add mustard seeds and cumin. Then add the chopped onion and sauté. Add the ginger garlic paste and suate well. Then add the chopped tomato and sauté till soft. Then add the Keerai thandu (stalks of greens). Add turmeric powder, salt and red chilli powder and mix well. Cover and cook till the thandu is tender – about 10-15 minutes. When the stalks are cooked through, add the pressure cooked kadalai paruppu and toss well. Let simmer for 5 minutes for the flavours to blend. Then switch off. Serve with hot steamed rice and Keerai Masiyal.