KEERAI MOLAGOOTAL / SPINACH LENTILS

Molagootal is a very popular and traditional Palakkad Iyer dish. It is a very simple and flavorful dish, full of nutrients. This is a combination of vegetables , lentils, and coconut. This can be prepared with mulai keerai, paruppu keearai, thandu keerai and even with vegetables like, cabbage, snake gourd or even with a mix of vegetables. It is very easy to prepare and tastes delicious with white rice.

INGREDIENTS

Palak                                                                - 2 cups (washed and finely chopped)

Moong dal                                                     - 1/2 cup

Turmeric powder                                       - ¼ tsp

Salt                                                                    - to taste

  

FOR WET GRINDING

Urad dal                                                           - 1 tbsp

Red chillies                                                     - 4 nos

Cumin seeds                                                   -1 tsp

Coconut gratings                                          - 1 cup

Fry urad dal and red chillies in a tsp of oil.

FOR SEASONING

Oil                                                                    - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds                                            - 1 tsp

Urad dal                                                        - 1 tsp

Red chillies                                                  - 2 nos broken

METHOD

Cook the spinach for five minutes adding little water and turmeric powder.

Wash and pressure cook moong dal.

Grind grated coconut along with cumin seeds,fried urad dal and red chillies to a fine paste.

Add the cooked palak with ground coconut paste and blend for a second.

Mix the ground paste with cooked moong dal adding required  salt and enough water.

Cook on a medium flame for four to five minutes, and add the seasonings.

Serve hot with white rice and some side dish thuvayal, pachadi or puli molagai.