Palak Curry OR Palak Cheera Kadnjathu (ചീര കടഞ്ഞത് OR கீரை கடையல்) is a typical Tamil Nadu preparation. It uses a spinach verity known to be Palak, cooked with lentle (dal) and spices. The mix of ingredients will be made as a paste during the preparation, with the process called Kadayal.
Same like other members in the spinach family, Palak is a rich source of vitamin A beta carotene, vitamin K, and antioxidants. It’s also a great source of minerals like calcium, potassium, manganese, copper, magnesium and more. The combination of palak with lentil in this dish adds the missing carbohydrate part to make this curry a complete meal.
Ingredients
For cooking palak
- Palak/ spinach : ½ kg
- Chopped tomato : 1
- Chopped green chilli : 1
- Chopped garlic : 5 cloves
For Masala
- Chopped onion : 1
- Crushed garlic : 1 clove
- Sambar powder : 1 Tbl sp
- Turmeric. Powder : ½ Tsp
- Cooked Toor dal : ½ cup
- Salt to taste
For seasoning
- Mustard : 1 Tsp
- Dried red chilli : 2
- Oil : 1 Tbl sp
Method
- Wash and chope the palak (chopped to approximately half). Make sure to drain out the water well
- Cook the palak with the first set of ingredients along with some salt- No not add water to cook, the spinach itself oozes out the water.
- It takes about 10 minutes to cook, make sure to mix well in regular intervals during cooking.
- Once cooked, drain out the spinach stock (Oozed out water) and keep aside. We need it later
- In a heavy bottom vessel (traditionally uses rough bottom earthen pot), put the spinach and make a fine paste of with a mathu – മത്ത്. This step is the kadayal (Smashing OR കടയൽ)
- Heat a pan (kadai) on the stove and fry the seasoning ingredients in oil.
- Once it splutter add the chopped onion and garlic & fry it until the color become brown
- Add the sambar and turmeric powder and fry it for another 5 to 6 minutes (until the raw smell gone)
- Add the smashed spinach, toor dal and the spinach stock along with enough salt.
- Mix everything very well & cook until it boils (about 7 to 9 minutes).
Tips: If you don’t have Mathu (മത്ത്) for smashing, an wooden/metal spoon can be used. But for better taste the earthen pot – mathu way works good !!! .
Alternately we can use mixer to coarse paste the mix, but the taste won’t be that great in this way.
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