Keerai Poondu Masiyal Ingredients: Mulai Keerai- 1 bunch Garlic flakes- 8 Green chilli- 1 Salt – ½ teaspoon ghee 2 sp mustard seeds 1/2 sp Udad dal 1/2 sp Method: Remove the roots and wash the keerai thoroughly. Chop the keerai finely. Place the chopped keerai in a thick bottomed vessel. Crush the garlic slightly and add to the keerai along with salt. Close it with a lid. Cook the keerai in slow flame. No need to add water since the keerai will cook in its own water content. When the keerai is cooked, mash it finely with a flat spoon. If you use the wooden matthu (round wood with long handle), you will get nice mashed Keerai masiyal. In another kadai make seasoning and pour on this keerai masiyal. Your yummy keerai mysiyalis ready to serve. Note:Some people use mixie for mashing the keerai. We can do it. But do not over run the mixie, just grind for one round. that is enough. You can make seasoing with garlic and then add chopped keerai. This will increase the taste of keerai.
Keerai Paruppu Masiyal Ingredients: Mulai Keerai- 1 bunch Thuvar dhal – ½ cup Mustard seeds- 1 tsp Cumin – 1 tsp Onion – 1 small Red chilly or green chilly 2 - 4 Tomato- 1 Sambar powder- 1 tsp (optional) Turmeric powder- ½ tsp Oil- 2 tsp Salt – ½ teaspoon Method: Take Thuvar dal and cook till soft by adding turmeric powder and 1 sp oil. Remove the roots and wash the keerai thoroughly. Chop the keerai finely. Make seasoning and add chopped tomato. Stir well. Add onion and mix well. Now add chopped keerai. Mix well. Close it with a lid. Cook the keerai in slow flame. No need to add water since the keerai will cook in its own water content. When the keerai is cooked, add cooked dhal mashed nicely. Keep the stove in slow flame. Serve with hot rice and ghee.
Spinach Black-eyed Peas Vada (Fritters) Ingredients: 1 1/4 cup black-eyed peas, soaked in water for 6-8 hrs and drained 1 cup chopped spinach/palak 1 large finely chopped onion 3-4 green chills finely chopped 2″ ginger finely chopped 1 tsp cumin seeds 2 tbsp coriander leaves finely chopped salt to taste oil for deep frying Method: Grind the soaked and drained black eyed peas to a coarse paste adding about 1-2 tbsps of water. Add the chopped onions, chopped spinach, green chillis, ginger, coriander leaves, cumin seeds and salt and mix well. Take a lemon size dough and flatten it on your palm to make a patti shape. Put them in hot oil and fry till golden brown. Serve hot with tomato sauce or any chutney of your choice.
Mint (Pudina) Chutney Ingredients: Coconut – 1/4 cup Mint leaves – 1 cup Green Chillies – 4 Nos Channa dal – 1 tablespoon Urad dhal – 1 tablespoon Tamarind paste - 1/2 sp Asafetida powder 1/4 sp Salt Oil – 2 teaspoon Method: In a kadai put the oil and fry asafetida, dhals and red chillies. Before removing, add the mint leaves and keep the stove to minimum. Fry the mint leaves for one minute. Add coconut and tamarind to that and fry altogether for one more minute. Cool it. Add salt and grind to a thick paste.
Dear Krishnaamma Thank you for posting the photos of keerai. Your first photo is "green herbs". I've not seen or eaten many of the others. It's times like this that I wish my grandmother was here - I'm sure she would have known of some more keerai. I can't see all the pictures for some reason. I know of drumstick herbs but I prefer the drumsticks in dhall or mixed vegetable curry. Thank you once again. Regards Neesha
Hi Neesha, I tried and got these photos in net against your request only dear. Good that you liked them. Whenever you get these greens you can now cook know? all the best. But I dont know why you cant see them.
Dear Krishnamma I am like one who does vegetable shopping once in a week. Can I buy keerai, wash, steam and store in fridge and use it everyday??.Coz in weekdays, I don't have time to buy and process keerai. due to this reason, me not able add keerai inmy diet.Since me and DH eat only dinner at home, I want to add keerai in my sambar,sabjis....in different forms. Please let me know how to preserve keerai and have it handy through out the week. Luv Ridge
Dear Krishnamma, Thank u so much for the keerai recipes n photos too. Can u please post the recipe of puliyitta keerai? I also ve heard in madras ppl eating pulicha keerai. is it the one especially used for making that puliyitta keerai? If possible please put the pics of pulicha keerai, n red ponnanganni too. I have seen one pasalai keerai grown in homes in younger days with pink colour flowers n slightly different leaf shape. It was also called pasalai keerai. I dunno exactly if its pasalai keeerai. can u plaese temme if u can identify that keerai am telling abt n if so wats it name? Regards, CC
Hi Dear Ridge, First we are not suppose to take keerai in the night dear. so have to use them in the day. and also I have not stored cooked or steamed keerai so far. but I use to keep cleaned and washed keerai in freezer and use them after wards. you can try them. like coriander leaves we can store keerai leaves also. but we have to use fresh keerai that is better. use them first and then start using other veg. ok? hope this helps you.
Dear Charu, 'puliyitta keerai' means,.... do you mean 'puli kuthina keerai?' cant understand ya. I already posted the photo of 'pulicha keerai' that is 'gonkura' in Telugu. I will try to get the 'red ponnamkanni' photo also. Yes I too have 'pasalai keetai' in Bangalore if I can let me put that picture also.there are two verities in pasalai one is ordinary pasalai and another which is having red lines on the leaves is called as 'semai pasalai' or 'cylone pasalai'. The second one will not have that much squashy like the first one. you can see the normal green pasalai keerai's photo in this thread. '