KEERAI PORIYAL

     This is a very very simple to make recipe,my family loves it next to keerai kootu. I find making keerai poriyal simple than kootu or sambar,just stir fry the keerai,that’s it,accompaniment is ready! I am so confused with the names of the keerai, I am not sure if this is mulai keerai or arai keerai…but this has long stem which is edible,sometimes we use it to make keerai thandu sambar too..

 

INGREDIENTS:

Keerai	2 small bunches
Onion	1
garlic	4-5 flakes
Sugar	1/4 tsp
Salt	As needed
Coconut,grated	3-4 tblsps

To temper:

Oil	1 tsp
Mustard	3/4 tsp
Urad dal	1 tsp
Red chillies	2-3

Method:

1. Clean the keerai and remove the root part. Wash it properly and chop it finely along with the stem.Chop onions and cut garlic to thin circles.
2. Heat a pan with oil and temper with the items given under ‘To temper’ table. Add chopped garlic and fry till its starts turning golden in colour.
3. Add onion an fry till transparent, add sugar and then add the keerai and required salt.
4. Stir slowly as the keerai reduces in volume as it gets cooked,it leaves water,so no need to add any water. Keep the flame in medium high so that the water evaporates apparently the keerai gets cooked.
5. Cook till the stem gets cooked,you can notice it turning transparent comparatively after it gets cooked.Lastly add the coconut and stir well to get a dry poriyal.
6. Enjoy with rice as accompaniment. We even eat this by mixing with rice and ghee/sesame oil.

Technorati Tags: greens poriyal,Keerai poriyal,Indian spinach poriyal poriyal

Do not cook the keerai covered as it will loose its colour. Also adding sugar helps to retain  green colour,I have heard it some where,but not sure though. Garlic is optional to add, so feel free to omit if you don’t want to add it.