Keerai Masiyal / Mashed Spinach

INGREDIENTS

2 bunches of spinach ( finely chopped )

1/2 cup water

Salt to taste

Small Onions 5

Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp

Garlic - 2 cloves

1 tsp oil

1 tbsp urad dal

2 dried red chillies, broken into pieces

METHOD

1. Cook the Spinach leaves in 1/2 cup water for about 5-8 mins till its wilted. Be careful not to add too much water, since the leaves give out some while cooking.

2. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and temper the mustard seeds. Fry the urad dal, small onions and the garlic, if using, until both turn golden brown.

3. Add the red chillies, jeera powder and curry leaves and fry for another 15-20 seconds. Now add the spinach leaves and mix well.

4. Add salt and keep mashing till the leaves are coarse and blended with the rest of the curry.

It goes well with hot rice.

Ridge Guard Chutney / Peerkangai Tuvaiyal

INGREDIENTS

1 Tomato (Finely Chopped)

1 Big Onion (Finely Chopped)

2 medium ridge gourds- peel the ridges and slice

3 dry red chillies

5 tbsp chana dal

5 tbsp udad dal

1/4 tbsp asafoetida

marble sized tamarind ball soaked in water

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds

pinch of turmeric

salt to taste

3 tsp oil for frying

Method:

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the fenugreek seeds and the dals. Once the dals turn golden, add the red chillies, turmeric, Onion, Tomato, gourd slices, tamarind and saute for 10 min. Add the salt, saute and cook covered for 10 min on a low flame.

Allow the vegetable to become tender and cool for around 10 min.

Put the cooled contents into a blender and grind to a fine paste.

Serve this Delicious chutny with hot rice, Idly/ Dosa.

Coconut Chutney

Ingredients

1 cup coconut, grated

2 small green chillies, chopped

1 teaspoon ginger, grated

1 tablespoon roasted split gram (daria dal), optional

salt to taste

For the tempering

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 red chilli, broken into pieces

2 to 3 curry leaves

1 teaspoon oil

Method

Put the coconut, green chillies, ginger, roasted split gram and salt in a blender with a little water and grind to make a fine paste. Keep aside.

Prepare the tempering by heating the oil and adding the mustard seeds, red chilli and curry leaves and stirring till the mustard seeds crackle. Pour this tempering over the chutney and mix well.

It goes well with Dosa / Idly .