Spinach Keerai (South Indian Spinach Stew)

This is the South Indian version of Palak Paneer or Saag Paneer, but without the paneer. Serve this dish over rice and crumple potato chips on top. Serve yogurt on the side. You can substitute any kind of greens, or a mix of greens, for the spinach. And fresh is better. Adjust spices to your taste and your tolerance. Make sure you use unsweetened coconut. You can use other lentils, but toor dal or mung dal is best. Adjust salt according to how salty you cooked the dal.

• Ready In: 20 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 10  ounces frozen spinach
• 3⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1  cup  cooked  toor dal or 1  cup  cooked  mung dal
• 2  tablespoons  grated unsweetened coconut
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1  dried red chili
• 3⁄4 teaspoon  rice flour or 3⁄4 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 -2  tablespoon  vegetable oil
• 1⁄4 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 1⁄4 teaspoon Urad Dal (optional)
• 1  teaspoon turmeric powder

Directions

1. Cook greens in the wok, adding water if necessary.
2. Add salt and turmeric powder.
3. Add dal and heat.
4. Grind coconut, cumin, chili, and rice flower until fine. Add water if needed so it isn't chunky.
5. Add ground spices to spinach/dal mix.
6. Adding water if necessary, grind (with blender or immersion blender) until parts are a puree and parts still look like bits of leaves. You don't want a smooth paste. Consistency should be like a smoothie, only with leaf bits.
7. In a small pan, heat the oil. Add mustard seeds and heat until they pop and turn grey.
8. Pour oil and mustard seeds on the keerai, stir and serve.