Spinach Rice (கீரை சாதம்)

Spinach rice (கீரை சாதம்) is a mixed rice preparation that can be made in a very short time. It is a tasty, wholesome and nutritious 'one-dish meal'. Spinach rice can be made with spleen amaranth (அரை கீரை), purple amaranth (முளைக்கீரை) or Indian spinach (பசலைக் கீரை). You can also use spinach rice as lunch box recipe.

Ingredients: (Serves four)

Raw rice – 1 tumbler or 200ml measure

Toor dhal – ½ tumbler or 100ml measure

Tamarind – size of a small lime

Spinach – cut leaves, 2 tumblers or 400ml measure

Tomato – chopped, 1 no

Sambar powder – 2 tablespoons

Jaggery – ½ teaspoon

Salt – to taste

Cooking oil – 1 tablespoon

Ghee – 1 tablespoon

Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon

Split urad dhal – 1 teaspoon

Methi seeds – ½ teaspoon

Asafoetida – a pinch

 

Spinach rice served with curd pachadi

Method: Wash rice and toor dhal well and keep aside. Soak tamarind in one tumbler or 200ml of warm water. Separate the spinach leaves. Cut them into smaller pieces. Soak the cut spinach in large quantity of water for 5-10 minutes. Leaves float on the surface. Remove the leaves with your hand and discard the dirty water. Repeat this process 2-3 times. Drain well and keep aside.

Heat oil in a handi or a pressure pan, add mustard seeds and when they start to sputter, add split urad dhal and methi seeds. Fry till the dhal turns golden brown. Add the tomato pieces and spinach. Saute for a minute.  Meanwhile, squeeze the tamarind and extract the juice by adding 200ml (one tumbler) of water. Add the sambar powder, asafoetida and jaggery to the tamarind juice, mix well. Add the tamarind juice mixture to the handi/ pressure pan and bring it to boil. Once the raw smell disappears, add rice, dhal, 3 tumblers (600ml) of water and required salt. Mix well. Cover with the pressure pan or handi lid and pressure cook for 7-8 whistles. Once the pressure subsides, open the lid. Add ghee and mix well. Serve hot with pachadi and appalam/vadam. 

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