Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Easy & Quick Subzis ~ Spinach - Toor Dal Saute


This is one of the typical preparations using greens in many Andhra Brahmin households. It is a simple and quick dry saute using greens - toor dal with a basic tadka using mustard seeds and chillies. No addition of onions, tomatoes, garlic or coconut in the traditional version. It is meant to be basic and simple. The greens commonly used is amaranth leaves but I substitute spinach since I rarely find amaranth leaves here and always have a large stock of frozen spinach. I use frozen spinach and coconut and so this is done in a jiffy.

This healthy, nutritious spinach - dal saute is going to me my first day entry under the theme "Dry Sautes" in BM#18. Check what my fellow marathoners have come up with, here.

Ingredients: (4 servings)
Spinach (I used 10 oz frozen spinach. Or you msut have about a cup of spinach after cooking.)
3 Tbsp toor dal
1/4 cup fresh, shredded coconut (Thaw if using frozen coconut.)
Salt to taste
For tadka:
1 Tbsp oil
1 tsp chana dal / Bengal gram 
1 tsp urad dal / split, skinned blackgram
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
6 - 8 red chillies (broken into bits)
1/8 tsp turmeric powder


Method:
* Cook toor dal adding water. The dal must be done but it should  not turn mushy. The dal should retain their shape.
* If using frozen spinach, place it in a microwave safe bowl and cook without adding water.  
* Heat oil in a pan and add the tadka ingredients in the order mentioned. When the dals start turning reddish, add the cooked spinach (if using frozen). If using fresh spinach, add it to the pan and saute until done.
* Next add the cooked toor dal, coconut and salt to the spinach and mix well. Cook for a couple of minutes more and turn off the stove.
* Serve with rice / rotis.

Comments

21 comments:

  1. that curry looks very healthy n delicious

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  2. Awesome recipe....easy to cook with complete minerals

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  3. Healthy and super delicious subzi, love to have simply with rice.

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  4. I love spinach and this poriyal or curry looks awesome.

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  5. Simple and very comfort food my favorite curry yes i usually make this with totakura yummm...

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  6. I cook dal everyday but surprisingly never made sabzi out of it. I haven't gone grocery shopping since two weeks, no veggies at home except spinach & frozen tomato puree. Could have easily made this!

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  7. Very healthy saute.. the photo is amazing...

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  8. This is an interesting variation with spinach..like the tempering and addition of tuar daal.

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  9. wow.. this dry dal palak looks delicious

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  10. Good one. Simple yet very tasty specially if the toor dal has a slight crunch, right?

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  11. lovely delicious spinach dal recipe.

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  12. Nice saute.. looks colorful and yummy too!

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  13. its been a while since i mad something this momly (hee hee , my word)...reminds me of my younger days food, simple and divine

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  14. Amazing one Suma, I always wondered how my colleagues say what my mom makes tastes so good..I always said it was because she used to keep it simple with just toor dal and mustard..:)..looks just like what my mom makes..

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  15. love this dry saute.. I too dont get amaranth (dantina soppu) here , so I substitue with Spinach or even Methi leaves..

    Kalyani
    Sizzling Tastebuds
    Hosting Walk Through Memory Lane – July 2012

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  16. I love how the Spinach isn't soggy. Probably because you aren't over-cooking it. My hubby gets annoyed if it is not "well done". He is like, why don't I go graze it directly from the ground, like a cow! Brrr. If it was up-to me I probably would do it your way! Awesome healthy poriyal!

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  17. I love adding lentils to dry sautes too. That dish looks awesome.
    LOL for CL's comment -- I can see my husband saying the same thing. :-)

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