Palakoora PulusuKoora

I am back. After my exciting trip to India and the after fervor associated to it ended considerably, I am back to my routine.
Though, I haven't had the time to go through the blogs, I know I have missed some wonderful posts from fellow bloggers and some amazing events during my absence. Time to catch up.

Coming to today's post, it's time for some pulusukoora, which my paternal grand mother used to cook regularly in her kitchen.
Simple and healthy greens adorn the center stage in this dish and only the basic ingredients needed to please the palate go along with it. I would say pulusukoora is real earthy and greens used in the dish would be at it's best.
Pulusukoora is usually prepared with gongura or thotakoora (amaranth leaves). I experimented with spinach and this worked equally good. Took me back down the memory lane.

Fresh Spinach
Ingredients required to prepare about a cup of pulusukoora:
A bunch of spinach / palakoora, washed thoroughly (I had about 5 cups of chopped spinach and stalks from a bunch)
1 or 2 small green chillies
1/2 tsp chili powder (or more or less depending upon the spiciness preferred)
About a tbsp of tamarind extract
Salt
And for seasoning - a tsp oil, a tsp of mustard seeds and a pinch of asafoetida

Cooking:
Chop the spinach leaves and green chillies fine. If the stalks of the bunch are tender, chop them fine as well. Put them in a thick bottomed vessel or deep bottomed pan with a tbsp of water and cook till the spinach is done. (That much of water is enough as pulusukoora has a thick consistency). It takes less than 10 minutes. Then add tamarind, chili powder and salt and let it cook for five more minutes. (Adjust the quantities if required). Mash the spinach with the back of the ladle while cooking. Heat the oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds and asafoetida. When the mustard seeds start to pop, remove and add it to the above spinach pulusukoora.
Traditionally, it is served as a side dish to rice and mudda pappu (plain dal) along with a spoon of ghee.

For microwave version, use a microwave safe bowl to cook spinach and proceed as above.

Palakoora Pulusukoora

This goes to MEC - Greens hosted by Srivalli of 'Cooking 4 all seasons'.

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