Keerai Masiyal

Name: Keerai Masiyal
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2-3 servings
Ingredients: 2 bunches Spinach; 1 tablespoon oil; 1 teaspoon Mustard Seed; 1 teaspoon urad dal; 1 teaspoon Cumin, seeds; 2 cloves Garlic, chopped; 2 units Green Chili, slit; 1 pinch asafoetida; 0.5 teaspoon turmeric powder; salt, to taste; 1 tablespoon tamarind paste; 0.5 cup water

Veg Vegan

Tender greens — spinach, amaranth, or drumstick leaves — cooked down with garlic, green chillies, and cumin until completely softened, then coarsely mashed with a hand whisk rather than blended smooth. Eaten mixed into rice with sesame oil, keerai masiyal is the everyday greens preparation of Tamil Nadu homes, valued as much for its nutrition as its earthy simplicity.

Cuisines

Chettinad Tamil Brahmin Kongunadu Madras Udupi Andhra

Best for

Lunch Dinner

Recipe

Prep: 10 min Cook: 20 min Total: 30 min 2-3 servings

Ingredients

	2 bunches	Spinach
	1 tablespoon	Oil
	1 teaspoon	Mustard Seed
	1 teaspoon	Urad dal
	1 teaspoon	Cumin , seeds
	2 cloves	Garlic , chopped
	2 units	Green Chili , slit
	1 pinch	Asafoetida
	0.5 teaspoon	Turmeric powder
	—	Salt , to taste
	1 tablespoon	Tamarind paste
	0.5 cup	Water

Instructions

1 Wash the spinach thoroughly and chop it coarsely.
2 Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Allow them to splutter.
3 Add urad dal and cumin seeds. Fry until the dal turns golden brown.
4 Add chopped garlic, green chilies, and a pinch of asafoetida. Sauté for a minute.
5 Add the chopped spinach to the pan along with turmeric powder and salt.
6 Cook the spinach on medium heat until it wilts and becomes soft.
7 Add tamarind paste and water. Mix well and let it simmer for a few minutes.
8 Once the spinach is cooked and the raw smell of tamarind is gone, remove from heat.
9 Mash the mixture using a masher or blend it to a coarse paste.
10 Serve hot with steamed rice.

Tips

For a richer flavor, add a teaspoon of ghee before serving.