Keerai Molagootal recipe | Palakkad recipes

Keerai Molagootal is a traditional Palakkad recipe, which i wanted to post here for a very long time. Many readers asked me to post this molagootal recipe and even i have seen readers seraching for Keerai molagootal jeyashri's kitchen. This is nothing but a poricha kootu made with keerai. Though the name has molagu in this, we don't have molagu | pepper in this recipe. This kootu is a simple yet healthy South Indian gravy made with spinach and served with hot rice. Try out this palakkad speical keerai molagootal at home.  Check out my Vazhaipoo kootu , Mambazha pulissery.

Keerai Molagootal

  Preparation Time : 15 mins | Cooking Time : 25 Mins |Serves: 3-4

     Keerai | spinach   1 bunch
     Toor dal or moong dal   1/3 cup
     Turmeric powder  1/4 tsp
     Urad dal   1 tblsp
     Red chili  2
     Coconut  1/4 cup
     Cumin seeds| jeera   1/2 tsp
     Mustard seeds   1/4 tsp
     Coconut oil   1 tsp
     Cooking oil  1 tsp
     Salt  as needed 
     

Method:

• Wash the spinach and chop them finely. Cook the dal with turmeric powder, in the pressure cooker till 4-5 whistles. 
• In a pan add the cooking oil and add the urad dal and red chili. Roast till the dal turns golden brown and keep it aside.
• Add spinach to the bowl and add 1/2 cup of water. 
• Add salt. 

• Grind the roasted dal, red chili, cumin seeds and coconut into a fine paste. Add water while grinding to make it into a smooth paste.

• Once the spinach gets cooked, generally it gets cooked very fast 5-7 mins, add the cooked dal to this.

• Mix well and add in the ground paste. Add little water to get the desired consistency. 

• In a small pan add coconut oil and add in the mustard seeds and when it splutters add it to the cooked keerai.

• Boil this for 2 minutes and switch off the flame. Keerai molagootal is ready .
• Serve this with hot rice along with some spicy curry like potato curry | ladies finger stir fry or brinjal curry. 

Notes:

• You can use arai keerai or molakeerai or even palak keerai  for this recipe. My amma makes keerai kootu with manathakkali keerai too.
• Do not add the dal more than the quantity mentioned. Else the kootu will have dominating taste of dal. 
• Tempering in coconut enhances the taste of the molagootal, if you do not like the smell use normal cooking oil.