Palak Keerai Kootu | Spinach Kootu

Kootu is mildly spiced coconut based South Indian stew with vegetables and lentils. Kootu is really easy to make and very healthy too. Kootu can be had with plain rice or served as a side dish for rasam or vathakuzhambu. Also see my other kootu recipes – bottlegourd kootu and chow-chow kootu.

Today I’m sharing one of my favorite – keerai kootu. I have used palak/spinach to make this kootu but you can use other varieties of greens too. This keerai kootu can be had with rice and some vegetable curry. Since its mildly spiced, it goes well with vathakuzhambu and rasam. We enjoyed a hearty meal with this kootu, brinjal fry, jeera milagu rasam and hot piping rice!

Palak Keerai Kootu

Spinach and lentil dish with ground coconut, chillies and cumin

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Servings 4

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 13 minutes mins

Total Time 23 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 1 bunch palak / spinach about 150-200g
• ¼ cup moong dal / paasi paruppu
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• Salt to taste

To grind

• 3 tbsp grated coconut
• 2 green chillies
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp rice flour

To temper

• 1 tsp coconut oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 1 dry red chilly broken
• Few curry leaves

Instructions

• Wash the dal and add ½ cup water, pinch of turmeric powder and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Once pressure releases, open and mash dal. Set aside.
• Grind coconut, green chillies, jeera and rice flour to a paste adding little water.
• Wash the spinach well to remove any sand or dirt and drain the water completely. Chop them finely.
• Add the spinach to a vessel with salt, turmeric powder and ½ cup water and cook uncovered over medium heat.
• Once the spinach is cooked, mash it with the ladle. Add the ground paste and bring to boil. Let it cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Add dal and cook for another 2-3 minutes. In a pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds. When it crackles, add red chilly, curry leaves and pour over kootu.

Notes

• You can use 2 dry red chillies instead of green chillies.
• The kootu generally has thick consistency. So add water according and once it has thickened slightly, remove from heat.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian