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Tamilnadu · Lunch

Keerai Kootu (கீரை கூட்டு)

Traditional 11. Keerai Kootu recipe

🧺 Ingredients

• 2 cups keerai (spinach / mulai keerai / methi leaves), roughly chopped
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup fresh coconut, grated
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 green chilies
• 4 tbsp water (for grinding)
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp urad dal
• 10 curry leaves
• 2 dried red chilies, broken
• ¼ tsp asafoetida (hing)
• 3 shallots, peeled and halved

👩‍🍳 How to make Keerai Kootu

1. Rinse chana dal.
2. Pressure cook with 1.5 cups water for 3–4 whistles until soft but not mushy — individual grains should hold shape but crush easily.
3. Drain any excess water.
4. Set aside.
5. In a wide pan, add spinach with 2 tbsp water, ¼ tsp turmeric, and ¼ tsp salt.
6. Cook on medium heat for 5–7 minutes until completely wilted and very soft.
7. Any excess moisture should be absorbed.
8. The spinach volume reduces dramatically.
9. Blend grated coconut with cumin seeds, green chilies, and 4 tbsp water to a smooth paste.
10. In the same pan with the cooked keerai, add the cooked chana dal.
11. Add the ground coconut-cumin paste.
12. Add remaining ¼ tsp salt.
13. Mix well.
14. Cook on medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the coconut paste cooks through and the kootu comes together as a cohesive, thick, semi-dry mass.
15. Add 2–3 tbsp water if it becomes too dry — kootu should be thick but not stick to the pan.
16. Heat 2 tbsp sesame oil in a small pan over high heat.
17. Add mustard seeds — crackle.
18. Add urad dal — fry golden.
19. Add shallots — fry 1 minute until lightly golden.
20. Add broken red chilies — fry 10 seconds.
21. Add curry leaves and asafoetida — sizzle 10 seconds.
22. Pour tempering over the kootu.
23. Mix gently.
24. Taste for salt.
25. Serve alongside sambar rice as a side dish.

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