Paruppu Urundai Kulambu, Keerai Masiyal and Rice
Tamil food is known for its health balance and spices and this combination is all about this unique mix of taste and wellness. While the Keerai Masayi is packed with iron and vitamins, the steamed dal balls in tamarind gravy takes care of the protein. Savoured with rice, this is a traditional combination which is very popular in Tamil Nadu.
VIEW INDIVIDUAL RECIPES
Paruppu Urundai Kulambu (Lentil Dumplings Curry)
- Duration:30 minutes
- Serves:2-4 people
Authenticity Slice
Add a teaspoonful of rice powder in the mix in order to slightly thicken the gravy. For optimum taste, allow it to set for about an hour after cooking, for the lentil dumplings to soak up a bit of flavour and the gravy.
Ingredients
- Label (For the Dumplings)
- Toor Dal (1 cup)
- Dry red chillies (sabut lal mirch) (2-4)
- Green chillies (2)
- Asafoetida (hing) (1/2 tsp)
- Curry leaves (kadipatta) (a few leaves)
- Rice powder (1 tsp)
- Salt (To taste)
- Label (For the gravy)
- Onion, chopped (1)
- Tomato, chopped (2)
- Garlic (lasoon), grated (2-4)
- Ginger (adrak) (1 small piece)
- Tamarind (lemon sized portion)
- Whole red chilli (sabutlalmirch) (2)
- MTR Lal Mirch Red Chilli Powder (1 tsp)
- MTR Turmeric Haldi Powder (1/2 tsp)
- MTR Dhaniya Coriander Powder (1 tsp)
- Coconut, cut to small pieces (1/4 cup)
- Fennel seeds (saunf) (1 tsp)
- Coconut milk (2 tbsp)
- Curry leaves (kadipatta) (1 sprig)
- Coriander leaves (haradhania), chopped (for garnishing)
- Sesame oil (til) (1 tbsp)
- Mustard seeds (sarson) (1 tsp)
- Fenugreek seeds (methi) (1 tsp)
- Salt (To taste)
Method
- Start by making the lentil dumplings. Wash and soak the toor dal, sabut lal mirch and green chillies.
- After an hour, drain out the water and mix hing, kadi patta and salt to the dal. Grind it into a smooth paste. Keep the consistency thick.
- Roll the mixture into small round dumplings and steam them in an idli cooker and keep aside.
- Next, grind the coconut pieces and saunf into a smooth mixture. Keep aside.
- For the gravy, heat some oil in a kadhai and toss the sarson and allow it to splutter. Then, add methi and cook it for a bit on a medium flame. Make sure not to burn it.
- Add the grated lasoon and adrak next, and sauté till they turn golden brown.
- Then, add the onion, salt and kadipatta and sauté until the onion turns pink.
- Follow this up with tomatoes and sauté until they turn soft.
- Next, add the MTR Lal Mirch/Red Chilli Powder, the MTR Dhaniya/Coriander Powder and the MTR Haldi/Turmeric Powder. Mix well.
- Cook on a medium flame until the oil separates.
- Add the tamarind juice and cook until the raw tamarind smell disappears.
- Add the coconut-fennel paste and stir well. Cook for about 5 minutes, and then,add the coconut milk.
- Break 2 or 3 of steamed dal dumplings and add to the gravy. Add a little water if the consistency is too thick.
- Then, gently add the remaining dal dumplings one by one into the gravy and allow it to cook for sometime.
- When the oil separates, garnish with freshly chopped hara dhania.
- Serve with some piping hot rice and a spicy side dish or appalams/papad.
Keerai Masiyal (Spinach mash)
- Duration:30 minutes
- Serves:2-4 people
Authenticity Slice
Use only fresh and preferably baby, spinach. This dish doesn’t use onions or garlic.
Ingredients
- Spinach (palak) (1 bunch)
- MTR Haldi Turmeric Powder (1/2 tsp)
- Salt (To taste)
- Label (For tempering)
- Oil (1 tsp)
- Mustard seeds (sarson) (1 tsp)
- Rice (1 tbsp)
- Dry red chilli (sabut lal mirch) (1)
Method
- In a kadhai, add the cleaned palak, salt and the MTR Haldi/Turmeric Powder along with some water. Bring it to a boil. When cooked, remove from the stove and allow it to cool.
- After it cools down, grind it in a mixer to form a purée.
- In a pan, heat the oil and add sarson, sabut lal mirch and urad dal. Sauté till the dal turns pinkish.
- Pour this seasoning over the spinach mash.
- Enjoy with some hot rice and papad.
