How long does Keerai Kuzhambu take?

55 minutes from start to finish. That is 20 minutes of preparation and 35 minutes of cooking.

How many people does Keerai Kuzhambu serve?

4. The ingredient quantities on this page rescale if you are cooking for a different number.

Is Keerai Kuzhambu vegetarian?

Yes. No meat, no fish and no egg.

Is Keerai Kuzhambu spicy?

It is mild: 1 on our scale of 3. Chilli scales gently when you change the servings, so doubling the recipe does not double the heat.

What do I need to make Keerai Kuzhambu?

250 grams Spinach, ¾ cup Toor Dal, 1 grams Turmeric Powder, 30 grams Coconut (Grated), 10 grams Green Chilli, 20 grams Tamarind, and a few more listed on this page.

Do I need a pressure cooker for Keerai Kuzhambu?

Yes, this one is cooked under pressure.

How many calories are in Keerai Kuzhambu?

About 227 a serving. The full nutrition table is on this page, per serving and for the whole batch.

Keerai KuzhambuCook

Keerai Kuzhambu

Name: Keerai Kuzhambu
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian, Tamil Nadu
Ingredients: ¾ cup Toor Dal, For Rinsing; 500 ml Water, For Cooking; 1 grams Turmeric Powder; 250 grams Spinach, Roughly Chopped; 250 ml Water, For Boiling; 1 tsp Salt; 30 grams Coconut (Grated), Grated; 1 tsp Cumin, For Grinding; 10 grams Green Chilli, Slit; 60 ml Water, For Grinding; 20 grams Tamarind, Soaked; 150 ml Water, For Soaking; 1 tbsp Oil; 1 tsp Mustard Seeds; ½ tsp Cumin; 2 grams Dry Red Chilli; 0.5 grams Asafoetida; 5 grams Curry leaves; ½ tsp Salt

55 min
mild
Serves 4

Prep 20 min · Cook 35 min

Start cooking

7 steps, one at a time. Big words for every step, and a timer where a step waits.

Also known as keerai kulambu, keerai kolambu · Veg · Kuzhambu, Sambar & Rasam

Kuzhambu, Sambar & Rasam Vegan Jain Dairy-free

Keerai kuzhambu, a Tamil Nadu gravy of spinach, toor dal and tamarind with a coconut, cumin and green chilli paste. Mild and vegetarian, serves 4, 55 minutes.

Low calorie

You’ll need: Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

18 items

4 people

Toor Dal, For Rinsing¾ cup
Water, For Cooking500 ml
Turmeric Powder1 grams
Spinach, Roughly Chopped250 grams
Water, For Boiling250 ml
Salt1½ tsp
Coconut (Grated), Grated30 grams
Cumin, For Grinding1 tsp
Green Chilli, Slit10 grams
Water, For Grinding60 ml
Tamarind, Soaked20 grams
Water, For Soaking150 ml
Oil1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds1 tsp
Cumin½ tsp
Dry Red Chilli2 grams
Asafoetida0.5 grams
Curry leaves5 grams

Contains: wheat.

Nutrition

Per 1 person, and for all 4 people. Worked out from the ingredients, so treat it as a close guide.

Nutrient	Per 1 person	All 4 people
Energy	227kcal	908kcal
Protein	11g	42g
Carbohydrate	30g	121g
Fat	8.1g	32g
Fibre	8.6g	34g
Sugar	3.8g	15g

Method

1
Get ready. Remove the thick stems from the keerai, wash the leaves well and chop them roughly. Rinse the toor dal and soak the tamarind in warm water for 10 minutes. Grate the coconut, slit the green chillies, break the dry red chillies and wash the curry leaves.
2
Pressure cook the rinsed toor dal with water and turmeric for 4 whistles on medium flame. Let the pressure release on its own, then mash the dal until smooth. The dal should be soft with no hard grains.
Toor DalWaterTurmeric Powder
3
Boil the chopped keerai with water and salt in a kadai on medium flame for 8 to 10 minutes. Stir once or twice, until the leaves are fully soft and the liquid has reduced slightly.
SpinachWaterSalt
4
Grind the grated coconut, cumin and green chilli with water in a mixie until smooth. Keep this coconut paste ready.
Coconut (Grated)CuminGreen ChilliWater
5
Squeeze and strain the soaked tamarind to get a thin extract. Add it to the cooked keerai and boil on medium flame for 5 minutes, until the raw tamarind smell goes.
TamarindWater
6
Heat oil in a small kadai on medium flame for 1 minute until hot. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter for 30 seconds. Add cumin, dry red chilli, asafoetida and curry leaves, then fry for 30 to 40 seconds until the curry leaves turn crisp.
OilMustard SeedsCuminDry Red ChilliAsafoetidaCurry leaves
7
Add the mashed dal and coconut paste to the keerai. Mix in the tempering and salt, then simmer on low flame for 5 minutes without covering, until the gravy is smooth and lightly thick. Do not boil it for long after adding the coconut.
Salt

Before you start

How long does Keerai Kuzhambu take?: 55 minutes from start to finish. That is 20 minutes of preparation and 35 minutes of cooking.
How many people does Keerai Kuzhambu serve?: 4. The ingredient quantities on this page rescale if you are cooking for a different number.
Is Keerai Kuzhambu vegetarian?: Yes. No meat, no fish and no egg.
Is Keerai Kuzhambu spicy?: It is mild: 1 on our scale of 3. Chilli scales gently when you change the servings, so doubling the recipe does not double the heat.
What do I need to make Keerai Kuzhambu?: 250 grams Spinach, ¾ cup Toor Dal, 1 grams Turmeric Powder, 30 grams Coconut (Grated), 10 grams Green Chilli, 20 grams Tamarind, and a few more listed on this page.
Do I need a pressure cooker for Keerai Kuzhambu?: Yes, this one is cooked under pressure.
How many calories are in Keerai Kuzhambu?: About 227 a serving. The full nutrition table is on this page, per serving and for the whole batch.

Tips from other cooks

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