Kirai Karee (Spinach & Dhall Gravy)

I love making this curry. It is normally a combination of a few type of vegetables usually available in Malaysia/India.  Otherwise simply adding spinach to cooked dhall and you get a wholesome meal.  add along a spicy dish to it vegetarian or non vegetarian...simply superb.

300gms of spinach - chopped finely/coarsely
1 1/2 cups of thoor dhall/mung dhall
a few pieces of birds eye chill(red/green)
2 tsp of ginger/garlic paste
2 -3 tbs of lemon juice or tamarind juice
1 cup of coconut milk ( I used fresh milk)
1 tsp of tumeric powder
salt to taste

Tempering
1tsp of mustard seeds
1 onion finely sliced
1inch of finely sliced ginger 
curry leaves
a few pieces of dry chillies
1 tsp of fennel seeds
1 tsp of cumin seeds
hing

Method

1. 
   
   Wash and boil dhall with ginger/garlic paste and tumeric. 
2. 
   
   Once it is cooked, add in tomatoes, chillies and chopped spinach into the dhall and cooked further till the spinach is soft and cooked.
3. 
   
   Heat oil in a separate wok.
4. 
   
   Once hot add in hing, fry 1 -2 seconds.  Add in mustard seeds.
5. 
   
   Add in onions, ginger and fry for a few minutes.  Add in dry chillies, curry leaves, cumins and fennel seeds.  Fry till the onions are soft and light in color.
6. 
   
   Pour this into the dhall, add in lemon juice, coconut milk and salt and stir well. Remove from heat once it starts to boil.
7. 
   
   Serve hot with rice.

Note : Normally I cut the spinach coarsely. When they are done, I remove 3/4 of it and pulse it using a mixie/blender before adding in the tempering ingredients. I will have a mixture of coarse/pulsed spinach.   Tradionally, it is normally mashed by using a wooden mortar. Well gone are days where these are used.......