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    Home » Main Course » Kootu

    Pasalai (Spinach) Keerai Poricha Kootu

    by Nisha

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Pasalai Keerai Poricha KootuSpinach cooked in dahl and ground pepper-coconut paste. The best way to include spinach in diet.

    Tamil cuisine is an ancient and most coveted cuisine in the world. This cuisine is a classic example of simplicity. Limited aromatic spices and abundant use of fresh tropical ingredients are the highlights. Though the fame of Dosa, Idly and Sambhar and chutney have reached all corners of the world, ours is not limited to these. It is much beyond that and has so much to offer. From this Friday, every week on this day, MSP will feature indigenous and traditional recipes to you all readers, in a new series, Thank God it's Indigenous Fridays - TGIIFs. The main intention of running this series is to showcase our own exotic dishes. I will try to include as much information as possible about the recipe and keep updating it as and when I can. The series will start with the tamil regional cuisine and then later extend to the greater Indian cuisine. Also some days it might be a wordless post as there are so many variations (mainly substitution of veggies) to some dishes and I just don't want to repeat the same post. I hope you all enjoy this along with me.
    Pasalai Keerai Poricha Kootu
    Even if there is a beautiful spread of delicious meal in front of me, I always reach out first to my most comforting dish, kootu. Well, you all might wonder what is so great about this simple dish. The thing is I don't know and there is something so homey about it, that I just can't articulate. As I said in my previous post, Kootu is one of the main items served in a full South Indian meal. There are so many variations to this simple dish. As far as I know, there is this more common coconut based kootu which is simply called as Kootu,Poricha Kootu - 2 types based on regional variation, morkootu and Ezhu Kari Kootu (the one we make especially on Thiruvadhirai) etc...

    Today's post is the porichakootu that is usually served in the Tanjore region of Tamil Nadu. Typically in any type of kootu, the ground mixture differs and also almost all types of veggies can be substituted in each variation. In this Poricha Kootu, Peppercorn and Moong Dahl are the main ingredients. The heat for this dish comes from the peppercorns and not red chillies.

    Pasalai Keerai Poricha Kootu

     

    Pasalai Keerai Poricha Kootu
    Print
    Pasalai Keerai Poricha Kootu | Spinach Poricha Kootu
    Prep Time
    10 mins
    Cook Time
    15 mins
    Total Time
    25 mins
     
    Spinach cooked in dahl and ground pepper-coconut paste.
    Course: Main Course, Main Dish
    Cuisine: Indian, Tamil Nadu
    Servings: 2 persons
    Ingredients
    • ¼ cup split green gram (pasi parupu)
    • A pinch of turmeric powder
    • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
    • 1 medium sized onion,finely chopped
    • 4 cups tightly packed chopped spinach leaves rinsed and washed well
    To grind
    • ¼ cup freshly grated coconut (thengai thuruval)
    • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
    • ¼ teaspoon peppercorns (milagu)
    • 2-3 red chillies (vatha milagai)
    To temper
    • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (kadugu)
    • ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
    • ½ tablespoon bengal grams (channa dhal)
    • 1 teaspoon black grams (urad dhal)
    • 5-6 curry leaves, torn
    • 1-2 red chillies (vatha milagai)
    • ¼ teaspoon perungayam (asafoetida powder)
    Instructions
    1. Pressure cook the dal with turmeric powder and keep aside.
    2. Heat a tablespoon of coconut oil in a Kadai | Pan over medium-high heat. Then add the chopped onions and saute until the onions turn translucent.

    3. Then add the chopped spinach and let it cook for about 10-12 minutes on medium-high flame.
    4. Grind the ingredients mentioned under to grind, using little water into a thick smooth paste. 

    5. Once the spinach is well cooked, add the ground coconut paste and dahl. Bring it to a boil and turn off the flame.

    Tempering
    1. Heat the remaining tablespoon oil in a separate Kadai, once the oil shimmers, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the cumin seeds, channa dahl, urad dahl, curry leaves, red chillies and fry for a second. 

    2. Turn off the flame and add asafoetida powder. Pour this over the kootu, stir well and serve with rice. 
    Recipe Notes
    1. You can substitute freshly grated coconut with unsweetened desiccated ones.
    2. Usually, the tempering is done at the end. You can also do the tempering at the beginning and follow from step 1 with sauteeing the onions, all in the same which is convenient.

    This post is for Blogging Marathon 42 under the theme "South Indian Dishes". Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 42 here.

    « Chow Chow Kootu | Chayote Stew
    Thakkali Sweet Pachadi »

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    Recipe categories

    • Breakfast
    • Snacks
    • Indian Main Course Dishes
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Srivalli says

      October 15, 2014 at 12:32 pm

      Kootu looks awesome Nisha, I am wondering how I missed this post..and your series sound great..looking forward to read them every friday..

      Reply
    2. Usha says

      August 04, 2014 at 1:24 am

      Peppercorns in dals with green leaves is new to me. Kootu looks very tempting

      Reply
    3. Harini-Jaya R says

      July 30, 2014 at 12:04 pm

      Oooo..looks so tempting.

      Reply
    4. Priya Suresh says

      July 27, 2014 at 4:52 pm

      I can finish happily my lunch with this fingerlicking poricha kootu, comforting food.

      Reply
    5. Hima bindu says

      July 27, 2014 at 3:11 pm

      Healthy kootu.. Love your presentation!

      Reply

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