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Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Keera masial

My earliest memories associated with keerai (spinach) has to do with my grandma sprinkling seeds around our coconut trees and then sprinkling water over them thrice a day until we could see tiny leaves emerge from the soil. These soon grew bigger and produced the best tasting keerai I've ever known in my life. Infact, for a long time I believed that red keerai tastes the best...well, actually I still do think so....
The other varieties of keerai simply do not match up to the unique taste of the red keerai which grows rampantly in Kerala households. That said, I must also say that I have never seen as great a variety of keerai as there is in Tamilnadu. Pretty much anything and everything green is a keerai here...A visit to the local market usually finds me coming back home with a keerai that was hitherto unknown to me.
Keera masial is a very easy to make dish that lets you imbibe the goodness of the green without adding any ingredients that overpower the senses.

Here's what you need:

Spinach - any variety, 1 bunch cleaned and chopped fine.
Salt
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli - 1
Oil - 1 tsp

Take the spinach in a microwaveable bowl. Add a little bit of water to it and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. Once cool, mash it with a wooden mathu(masher) or give it just one turn in a mixie. Be careful not to blend it into a smooth paste, though.
Heat the oil for a minute in a microwave safe container. Add the urad dal, red chilli and mustard seeds to it, cover and heat for another minute or until the seeds pop. If you are not comfortable doing this in the microwave, use a stove instead. Pour this seasoning over the mashed keerai and mix well.

This is my entry to Srivalli's MEC Greens.

21 comments:

FH said...

That green color makes me happy!! Great entry, wonderful with Chapatis to dip too!:)

Mythreyee said...

super recipe. Love it.

Dhivya said...

wow!i love to eat anydishes made with keerai...ur version looks great..will surely try..thanks for sharing

Revathi said...

keerai masiyal looks good... home grown keerai - Miss the grandma generation !!

Suganya said...

I make masiyal the same way too. I also add cumin seeds and asafoetida.

bee said...

this is the simplest masiyal recipe, and looks the most delicious too.

jayasree said...

Jayashree, i was thinking of making keerai masiyal for srivalli's event. You overtook me. I also cook the same way. Now i have to come up with something else.

Srivalli said...

Thanks for the lovely entry jayashree..it looks so fab!

Finla said...

Beautiful and simple and easy to make them

Uma said...

Wow, green! My fav. color. Looks lovely! Must have tasted yummy too!

Laavanya said...

I love keerai masiyal.. my parents always used 'arakeerai'. It was tedious work to separate the leaves out but it tastes amazing esp. with puli kuzhambu :)
Need to make some soon..

Sia said...

thats such an easy-peasy recipe:) i love green in any format. so thank u for this recipe:)

Seema said...

Nice one.. A very nice dish with rice & rasam...

Archana Doshi said...

i love this, this used to be my regualar packed lucnch, along with my rasam sadam, and some curry :). I make it less often, i wonder why.

Seena said...

Jaya, this is the Tamil name for the dish? Are you from Poonkunnam? Felt like some one I know.. :)

Meera said...

I am going to try this soon. Loved it.

Cynthia said...

That was such a charming memory.

DEEPA said...

I love keera masaial !!!one of my favrt!!!!

Linda said...

What a lovely color and so tempting -- I wish I had a spoonful :)

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Jaya M said...

it looks so deliciuos ...thanks for sharing
hugs and smiles