KEERAI MASIYAL RECIPE Serves 2-3 Ingredients:Amaranth leaves or spinach leaves – 2 cups, cleaned and roughly choppedDried red chillies – 2Jeera powder – 1/2 tspMustard seeds – 1/4 tspUrad dal – 1/2 tspCurry leaves – a few (optional)Garlic – 2 cloves, minced (optional – traditional Brahmin recipes never use garlic, so omit for the authentic taste)Oil – 2 tspSalt – to tasteHow to Make Keerai Masiyal

  1. Cook the amaranth leaves in 1/2 cup water for about 5-8 mins till its wilted. Be careful not to add too much water, since the leaves give out some while cooking.
  2. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and temper the mustard seeds. Fry the urad dal and the garlic, if using, until both turn golden brown.
  3. Add the red chillies, jeera powder and curry leaves and fry for another 15-20 seconds. Now add the amaranth leaves and mix well.
  4. Add salt and keep mashing till the leaves are coarse and blended with the rest of the curry. Serve hot with rice and mor kozhambu / spiced buttermilk curry. Notes – Do not re-heat this curry since the nitrous present in the leaves can be harmful for us, especially kids– Try to use fresh spinach but frozen should also work.– The dish is traditionally prepared in kal chatti (thick unpolished granite pots), where the mashing process is much simpler and gives the dish a nice flavour.– For a quicker version, instead of mashing up the spinach, grind it coarsely in the mixie before adding to the tempered mixture.