Keerai Masiyal

Our blogger buddy, Sarawasthy @ Taste of Sara's kitchen is celebrating her birthday today; let us all wish her a wonderful Birthday and many many happy returns of the day!

I am on a recipe marathon, should I say? Well, there are so many posts lying in my drafts for a long time. Before any of them go stale, I want to deliver them hot and fresh! :)

Keerai Masiyal / Mashed Amaranth Gravy is that my-kinda-food which I turn to, when I miss home, or when my spirits need a lift. My brain is so complicated and one thing that I often go over and over is "Green means Healthy".. So anything green, I would eat without grudges telling myself that I am doing something good for my health! Oh, I don't graze grass though, that the cows in my farm(ville) will take care! ;)

So, I was so overwhelmed with joy when I saw these amaranth (mullai keerai) here in a Srilankan store I frequent often. This bunch was silently peeping through and the following was the conversation.

Me: Hey wait, Aren't you that.... Amaranth... Mullai Keerai??? What are you doing here?
Amaranth: Don't be silly.. What do you think I'm doing in a grocer's shop? Waiting for someone to buy me..
Me: But I have never seen you here before..
Amaranth: Oh ya, everyone likes me so much that as soon as I arrive, they come and buy me off.
Me: Oh, I see... *still contemplating whether to buy it or not*
Amaranth: Hey listen, I know you have been searching for me for so long... So don't pretend! I am tired of the usual curries these people make. Take me home soon before someone else buys me. I will be happy turn into that Keerai Masiyal / Keerai Kootu your mom often makes. I know you love that too!

Half an hour later, I was coming back home in the train happily with a bunch in my bag. The fresh smell of the leaves had done enough to make me go hungry; over and above that I was now and then opening my bag and smelling them, much to the confusion of my fellow passengers! Heck, what do they know about Keerai Masiyal??!!

Keerai Masiyal
Mashed Amaranth tempered with spices and coconut

What we need:
Amaranth leaves / Mullai Keerai / Thota kurra - 1 small bunch
Coconut oil - 2 tbsp.
Mustard - 1 tbsp.
Cumin (Jeera) - 1 tbsp.
Red Chillies - 3 to 4, broken
Urad dal - 1 tbsp.
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Fresh Coconut, grated - 2 to 3 tbsp.
Rice flour - 2 tbsp.
Salt - as needed
Water - as needed


How to do:
1. Wash, clean and roughly chop the amaranth bunch. Make sure you trim the roots off.
2. Place them in a deep pan/vessel, add just enough water to immerse them, add a pinch of salt.
3. Bring them to a boil, when keeping the stove on medium-high. Then reduce the heat and boil for another 3 to 4 minutes. If the leaves are tender, they take less than 5 minutes to get cooked.
4. Dissolve the rice flour without lumps in 2 to 3 tbsp of water and and add it to the leaves. Add the remaining salt.
5. When the raw smell of the flour wears off, add the grated coconut, give a good mix and remove from the heat.
6. In a small seasoning pan, heat Coconut oil, add mustard seeds, followed by cumin, red chillies, urad dal and asafoetida.
7. When they are nicely done, add the seasoning to the gravy.

Notes:
You can add curry leaves to the seasoning for an added flavor.
Instead of using rice flour, you can soak a tbsp. of rice and grind it with coconut and add it to the gravy.
Use only coconut oil for seasoning; any other cooking oil won't bring out the actual flavor of this masiyal.


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See you all soon (now when I mean soon, it means soon!) with an interesting post! Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging! :)

18 comments:

Shanthi Krishnakumar said...

Good conversation where is the photo?

Sandhya Hariharan said...

enjoyed reading the write up....
i love keerai masiyal.. i just make it with the regular spinach leaves!!

Hayley said...

Happy Birthday Sara! ya where is the pics?

Jeyashris Kitchen said...

Wish sara a wonderful b day. and even i am like u a great fan of green veggies. where is that keerai? missed to click it.It may get angry.

Rohini said...

Sorry friends, thanks for pointing it out.. Just fixed it.. Ensoi!

sathya1110 said...

Keera thottam connection :D

kitchen queen said...

Hey Rohini I am a very big fan of all the different keerais right from childhood. Your keerai masiyal is very delicious and reminds me of my weekly once cooking of keerai as a must.

Cool Lassi(e) said...

Love Keerai Masiyal. Just like you, I like thogayal, masiyal,avial and the likes..:)

Nandinis food said...

Extremely healthy and nutritious pudding!

R said...

nice recipe, n'joyed reading ur story :) its so nice of u to let us know abt a blogger buddy's b'day, will def visit her blog to leave my wishes.

Anonymous said...

இனிய தமிழ் புத்தாண்டு நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்.

Saraswathy Balakrishnan said...

thanks for the lovely post abt my b'day and the wishes from ur blogger friend my dear..the keeri kottu looks so tempting and feel like grabbing it now:)thanks once again:)

Sushma Mallya said...

Bday wishes to sarah, hope she enjoys her day...Masiyal looks so healthy and i love greens too..

Latha said...

Nice write up rohini.....lovely dish as well.

AdukalaVishesham said...

enjoyed reading your writeup... we were also this excited when we saw drumstick leaves in our Indian store...

Simplyfood said...

Never cooked with this veg before it looks interesting.
Happy birthday sara wishing you many happy returns of the day.

Priya Suresh said...

Haha loved ur conversation, keerai looks extremely delicious and yumm..

ruchikacooks said...

Happy New year Rohini. Keerai masaiyal looks good, with paruppu sadam it would be so good..