Puli Keerai / Tangy Spinach Sauce
Puli Keerai / Tangy Spinach Sauce
This is a very traditional dish prepared in a Tanjore Tamil home. The tangy flavour is exceptionally good and a favourite with many. It’s a main course had with rice and dal mixed with a dollop of ghee.
These dishes are not to be found in any restaurants but an exclusive in a traditional home. Dishes that are made with a lot of love and care. In our homes passion and cooking goes hand in hand.
‘Viji’sVeggieVignettes’ takes you on a journey through our traditional food, culture and lifestyle as laid down by our great grandmothers’ many years back.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJwWyszBdSU
Ingredients
- 2 bunch amaranth, cut fine
- 1/2 cup pigeon peas / thuvar dal
- 2 tbs tamarind sauce
- 3 green chillis, slit
- 1/2 tsp asafetida / hing powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Seasoning
- 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp bengal gram/ chana dal
- 1/2 tsp oil
Instructions
- Cook the pigeon peas in 2½ cups of water until they turn mushy. Alternatively, pressure cook for a whistle and lower flame to cook further for 10 minutes. Switch off and when the pressure reduces, completely open and use.
- In a deep pan, boil a cup of water, adding salt. Add the washed and chopped greens with the asafetida powder and green chillis, and toss with a ladle until rich in color. Cover and simmer over a medium flame for 4 – 5 minutes until soft. Strain the water and using a hand mash, mash it coarsely and set aside.
- Heat the oil, pop the mustard, add and lightly brown the bengal gram. Add the greens, tamarind sauce and the cooked lentil. Cook for three minutes over a medium flame or until the gravy thickens slightly. If too thick, add some of the strained water and stir for a couple of minutes.
- Important Point: Some varieties of chillis are too spicy so use less. Alternatively, de-seed before using.
