Keerai (Spinach) Kootu

We love this Keerai Kootu and is a sure fire way to get anyone eat their greens. It's rather mild and so goes over well with kids too... I love the heat that it gets from the ginger, pepper and green chillies and if using frozen spinach, then it comes together in no time.

KEERAI (SPINACH) KOOTU

Ingredients:
Spinach - 4 to 6 cups chopped (I used 1 bag of frozen cut leaf spinach)
Yellow split mung dhal - 1 cup, dry roasted till golden
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste

To Grind:
Green Chillies - 8
Black pepper (whole) - 8 to 10
Ginger - half inch piece
Coconut - 3 to 4 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Seasonings:
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - half tsp
Urad Dhal - half tsp
Red Chillies - 1 or 2, broken in half
Asafoetida - a pinch

Method:
1) Pressure cook the mung dhal with sufficient water, turmeric & asafoetida till soft. Mash this.

2) Meanwhile cook spinach in a pot with little water and a bit of salt till done.

3) Grind the coconut, ginger, pepper, cumin seeds & g. chillies to a paste with some water and add this paste to the cooked spinach along with mung dhal. Add enough water to adjust the consistency.

4) Let this boil for about 5 to 10 minutes. Heat oil, add the seasoning ingredients and once they splutter, top the spinach mixture with this and remove from the stove. Keerai kootu is ready to serve.

I packed it for lunch along with a dry potato curry (without the lima beans) and rice - Yum.