Araikeerai (Amaranthus) Masiyal / Kadayal - Country food

Araikeerai Masiyal / Kadayal - Country food

Arai keerai (Amaranthus dubius) masiyal (in Tamil) is another mild keerai kuzhambu made without dhal. So if you want to finish the keerai (greens) in the afternoon itself and not for dinner, then this is the ideal kuzhambu with keerai. The quantity of kuzhambu yielded is less. My mom used to name this kuzhambu as araikeerai puli pottu kadayal.

It is better to finish the dish made with greens during the daytime itself and not to consume it for dinner. I remember my grandmother used to say that we should finish keerai kuzhambu or any keerai (greens) dish before 4pm and should not be consumed after it has become dark. Since it is always a traditional rule that we should eat light for dinner (as we are not going to work much and just sleep thereafter), it makes sense that since greens are richer in fibre, it should be avoided for dinner.

For more Kuzhambu recipes - Kuzhambu

Let me take you to the recipe.

Ingredients:

• Araikeerai/amaranthus - 1 bunch
• Onion - 1 medium
• Tomato - 1 medium
• Green chillies - 3 medium
• Garlic cloves - 3
• Salt - as required
• Tamarind - 1 gooseberry size
• Tempering vadagam - 2 teaspoon
• Oil to temper

Procedure:

• Do not choose the greens which are perfect without any holes in the leaves. Let it have some holes in its leaves as a proof that less pesticide was used in it and so a worm was able to feed on it.
• Clean the greens and soak it in salt water for 10 minutes to remove any little pesticide used in it.
• Drain it and keep ready.
• Take a container, add the greens, slit green chillies, chopped onion, tomato and garlic. Add little water and keep it on the stove.
• Let it cook in medium heat till the greens and other veggies are cooked.
• Once they are cooked, add the tamarind to it, switch off the stove and cover it.
• The tamarind gets softened in the heat of the content itself.
• Once the keerai has cooled down a little bit, transfer it to the "kal satti", add salt, and mash it with "mathu". First drain the excess water from the keerai, then mash it.
• Below is the picture of kal satti (earthen ware) and maththu

• Now keep another container in the stove.
• Heat some oil. Add the tempering vadagam. Then add the keerai masiyal and that excess keerai water drained from the cooked keerai (before mashing). 
• Let it come to a boil. Turn off the heat. Serve hot with plain rice.

Tips:

• You can use cooker too. Add all the contents into the small cooker and pressure cook it. But I prefer not to use pressure cooker as too much pressure built in cooker might kill the nutrients of the food cooked in it. So, I use cooker only when the situation calls for it.
• I use "kal satti" or "paruppu kadayura satti" to mash the cooked keerai. You can use the blender too. Trying to mash it up with just a laddle will not help.

When you see inside this earthen ware, you will notice very tiny pebbles or stones (kal - in Tamil) are stuck at the bottom and hence the name kal satti. This helps to mash the content better.

• I have used tempering vadagam here to temper. You can use regular mustard, curry leaves and urad dhal too to temper.
• Keep this kuzhambu little thick and not too watery. Since there are not much ingredients in this, and if you make it little watery like sambar, the taste too will be diluted.
• Another choice is, without tempering, you can make it little water and consume as soup.

Today I made Brinjal-drumstick Poriyal as side dish for the keerai masiyal.

This araikeerai masiyal is a simple and easily digestible keerai dish. We used to have it with hot plain rice with some nice spicy roasts as side dishes. 

This does not go well with any idli, dosa or chapathi. 

Happy cooking !!