Friday, April 11, 2014

Keerai kootu | Everyday Greens | Easy, healthy side-dish recipe | Under 30mins recipe



This Keerai kootu is a very simple everyday recipe which is an excellent side dish for Vatha Kuzhambu or any other spicy tangy mix. As part of healthy eating,many of us have the habit of including a 'Keerai'/Greens in our daily menu together with the daily dose of vegetables.Traditionally, locally grown fresh Greens are cooked in earthenware which renders a wonderful natural flavour to the already tasty greens.Though there are really exciting ways to include greens in our / kids' diet which I would be sharing in the coming 'Everyday Greens' series,lets get started with our everyday vitamin / iron fix with this simple South-Indian Keerai koottu recipe.


Preparation time : 10mins
Cooking time : 15mins
Serves : 4


Ingredients:

Mulai Keerai / Amaranth leaves - 1bunch
Salt - As needed
Grated coconut - 1/2cup
Red chilli -2
Jeera / Cumin seeds - 1tsp
Rice flour - 1tblsp

To temper:                        
Coconut oil - 1tsp
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Broken urad dal - 1tsp         

Method:-

1.  Cut off the root portion of the Keerai and check for weeds and remove,if any.Chop it finely together with the stem and immerse in a big pot of water with plenty of water. Now, use your hand to gently sieve out the greens from the top until you have taken out fully. This method is the best for greens. You would see the sand grains which are deposited at the bottom. 

2.  Cook the Keerai in about 1/2cup water and salt. Keerai shrinks and reduces in volume in just a few seconds over flame. So, add just enough water and salt.

       

3.  While it is cooking, grind the coconut, jeera, chillies and rice flour with 1/4cup of water until its finely ground into a paste.

4.  In about 10mins, keerai gets cooked well. Take out a stem part to check for doneness. Now, add in the ground coconut mixture. Let it boil for 2-3mins until well incorporated. Transfer to the serving bowl. Heat a small pan / kadaai with coconut oil and add mustard seeds. Once it starts spluttering, add urad dal and once it turns golden brown, take off the flame and temper it over the prepared Keerai koottu.

        

Keerai kootu makes for an excellent and nutrient-rich side dish.





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