PARUPPU KEERAI - FROM KONGU NADU

Kongu Nadu A very beautiful part of Tamilnadu, Kongu means honey or Nectar in ancient Sangam tamil, Kongu nadu means honey like landscape.not even land people of kongu nadu also so sweet and very friendly people. This is the Western part of tamilnadu bordering Kerala and Karnataka states. Almost the area of this Kongu is forest and agricultural area. Some of the main industrial cities like combatore are also in Kongu nadu. The cuisine of Kongunadu is having some delicious dishes in every day menu like Kathirikkayi pulikuzhambu, Keerai masiyal or keerai Kadaijathu, arisim paruppu sadam, Palcurry Kuzhambu, Paruppu Keerai, Thattapayir Karakuzhambu and many more like this and to day I am here with a simple Pruppu keerai recipe which is very common in Kongu houses in every day meal. This I learn when I was in ooty my land lady uses to make this paruppu keerai almost 2 times in a week. And in ooty we use to get a different Paruppu keerai those leaves are little thick then spinach and looks like amaranth leaves. I never saw that green leafy vegetable yaa once I have seen them in channai too. Any way we can use any other leafy vegetable like spinach, amaranthus leaves or fenugreek leaves also in this recipe. Here I go with the recipe.
                                                                   

INGREDIENTS:---
Pruppu Kerai – 2 bundles or 1bowl chopped (if you are using 1 cup lentils with that same cup 2&1/2 cup chopped green leafy vegetables you have to add in this recipe. Not only paruppu keerai you can use Spinach, amaranthus leaves, fenugreek leaves also.)
Lentils – 1 cup (you can use split pigeon peas or yellow lentils)
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tea sp
Oil – 1/4 tea sp
Onion – 1 medium chopped or 1 tab sp chopped
Garlic --- 6 cloves chopped
Green chilies – 3 slit
Pepper powder – 1 tea sp
Salt to taste
For seasoning –
Oil – 1 tab sp
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tea sp
Cumin seeds – 1/4 tea sp
Asafetida – 1/4 tea sp
Curry leaves – 10 leaves
METHOD:---
1. Roast lentils in a pan till they turn in to light pink color and then add 2 cups of water, 1/4 tea sp turmeric powder and 1/4 tea sp oil and cook till lentils become soft. Remove from heat and leave a side.
2. Now heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds and let them popup then add cumin seeds, asafetida and fry for a second.
3. Then add chopped onion and fry till onion become translucent, now add chopped garlic, green chilies and fry for 1 min.
4. Now add chopped greens to this and cook for 5 min. then add pepper powder mix well.
5. Add cooked lentils, salt to taste mix well to combine every thing and cook for 5 more min. and remove from heat.
6. Serve with hot steamed rice or chapathis.
This paruppu keerai is for priya s RCI - KONGU NADU event strted by Lakshmi
Check my 2 more Kongu recipes Murungakkai Kara Kuzhambu and Arisim paruppu sadam