Keerai molagootal ( spinach and lentils )

As a kid growing up, we never had any aversion for spinach as the most delicious molagootal saadham was our lunch along with pappadam or any pachadi .Every other day this would be our after school lunch , molagootal sadham with keerai or mixed vegetables . I continued this practice with my daughter too.

A healthy dish popular from Palakkad and usually enjoyed with rice and some tangy pachadi or even pickle, may sound strange but some how it goes well together. so a good side dish can be the popular mathan pachadi ( yellow pumpkin ) or cucumber pachadi, okra pachadi . check the simple yummy recipe

One of the most delicious ways to have spinach is the Keerai Molagootal, which is a great healthy blend of lentils, spinach, little coconut and cumin paste with spices.

A typical delicious dish from Kerala , especially the Palakkad side, where all kinds of Molagootal is famous.

Ingredients:

2 bunches of spinach, washed, cleaned and chopped fine. ( Amaranth or paalak is fine. )
1/2 cup of moong dal pressure cooked..

1tsp cumin seeds
2 red chillies

1/2 cup coconut freshly grated.
A small pinch of pepper powder or cracked pepper.( usually pepper is not added in molagootal,but we like the taste, you can skip )
2 tsp rice flour to help thicken the gravy.
Salt to taste
2 tsp coconut oil.or any cooking oil.
Pinch of turmeric powder.

Method

In a deep pan add the chopped spinach leaves, add a pinch of turmeric powder and let it cook till soft, will not take long and do not add too much wate rto cook.
When the spinach is cooking , grind to a paste , fresh coconut, cumin seeds, 2 red chillies, 2 tsp rice flour, cracked pepper powder all in a mixie with very little water to a smooth paste.
Keep this aside.
When the spinach leaves seem to be softened and cooked, add the mashed dal, and the ground paste and blend well in the pan . Keep the flame on a low , make a tempering of mustard seeds, split udad dal and 2 red dry chillies in coconut oil and pour this over the cooked Molagootal.

Enjoy Keerai Molagootal mixed with rice and have pappadam or as a side dish.

do watch this youtube video of the same recipe with very small changes , Like share and Subscribe to my youtube channel

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