Keerai sambar recipe with full detailed video, stepwise pictures for easy learning. Keerai (in tamil) means spinach variety we get in South India.
This is one of our family favorite. Both at mom’s place and in-law’s place. Initially I never got a hold on keerai sambar and got it very runny, then later by experience realized that keerai will leave water and have to be careful while adding water. And usually add more dal, sambar powder to make it thicker and spicier otherwise it will be bland.
Click here for cup measurements
Green chilli can be replaced with one red chilli while tempering
Small onions can be replaced with one large onion
Keerai sambar recipe
Keerai sambar recipe with detailed full video, stepwise pictures for easy learning. Keerai (Tamil) means a spinach variety we get in South india.
Servings 4
Cup measurements
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Keerai / amaranth leaves
- ½ cup Toor dal
- 1.5 tsp Sambar powder
- 1 small gooseberry sized Tamarind 1 tsp packed
- 1 Onion
- ¼ tsp Turmeric
- Salt - As needed
TEMPER:
- 2 tsp Oil
- 1 Red chilli
- ⅛ tsp Fenugreek seeds
- ⅛ tsp Asafetida
- ½ tsp Mustard
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
Instructions
- Peel off small onion skin and slit green chilies.
- Pressure cook toor dal with 1 & ½ cup water for 4-5 whistles or until done. Mash well and keep aside.
- Extract tamarind juice by soaking in warm water for 30 mins.
- I usually extract tamarind juice easily by keeping inside a small bowl along with dal and pressure cooking. This way, we can get the juice efficiently with less effort and water.
- Clean the keerai by washing it well 2-3 times and chop it. Do not chop too fine.
- Heat a kadai with oil and add the items under To Temper table in order.
- Then add onions and green chillies and fry till onions turn golden brown here and there.
- Add to the tamarind extract, with salt,turmeric and sambar powder and bring to boil.
- Once it starts boiling, add the chopped keerai.
- Stir well so that the keerai so gets immersed.
- Boil till keerai gets cooked, check the stem for doneness by pressing between two fingers.
- Lastly add cooked toor dal and mix well.Boil for 2 minutes and now keerai sambar is ready!
Video
Notes
- We can use any variety of keerai like arai keerai, mulai keerai or siru keerai.
- I have used the stem too, you can use leaves alone.
- Water should be added carefully-very less, since this sambar should be bit thicker in consistency than our usual sambars. Keerai by itself leaves out water and cannot take more water.
Keerai sambar method:
-
- Peel off onion skin and slit green chilies. I have updated the recipe with video where I have used red chillies while tempering instead of green chilli.
- Pressure cook toor dal with 1 & ½ cup water for 4-5 whistles or until done. Mash well and keep aside.
- Extract tamarind juice by soaking in warm water for 30 mins. I usually extract tamarind juice easily by keeping inside a small bowl along with dal and pressure cooking. This way, we can get the juice efficiently with less effort and water.
- Clean the keerai by washing it well 2-3 times and chop it. Do not chop too fine.
- Heat a kadai with oil and add the items under To Temper table in order.Then add onions and green chillies and fry till onions turn golden brown here and there.
- Add to the tamarind extract, with salt,turmeric and sambar powder and bring to boil.
- Once it starts boiling, add the chopped keerai.
- Stir well so that the keerai so gets immersed.
- Boil till keerai gets cooked, check the stem for doneness by pressing between two fingers.
- Lastly add cooked toor dal and mix well.
- Boil for 2 minutes and now keerai sambar is ready!
NOTE
- We can use any variety of keerai like arai keerai, mulai keerai or siru keerai.
- I have used the stem too, you can use leaves alone.
- Water should be added carefully-very less, since this sambar should be bit thicker in consistency than our usual sambars. Keerai by itself leaves out water and cannot take more water.
Serve with cooked rice and ghee on top of it..
Keerai sambar looks awesome …
Delicious, just give ma a whole plate of plain rice with it.
even we make it Raks. I always love it. That plate looks delicious.
Looks yummy…
what a yummy sambhar! love to have it with rice and some curd chilies. BTW, does keerai mean spinach?
Its looks nice.especially with that hot rice.
Keerai sambar looks yummy…
,Yes Uma,Keerai mean Indian spinach!
Ive not heard of keerai sambhar before.. nutritious and yummy.
what is keerai raji….i dont have a clue what it is……
Keerai is Indian spinach! 🙂
Keerai sambar looks good
spinach is murunga keerai
love ur recipe.Learn alot from you, wishing i know tamil or hindi words for certain ingredients.( I am chinese wife married to an indian boy),really want to learn how to cook indian food from simple and illustrative recipes from yours.Thanks for sharing. http://hellosweetdessert.wordpress.com/
Spinach is siru keerai, amaranth. Murungai keerai is drumstick leaves
Hi..I made this sambar yesterday and all my family members loved it…Usually we make dhaal palak with dhaal and palak combo but the tamarind and sambar powder and sequence of steps made this sambar so favorable… Thanks Raji…
Tomorrow I will try this recipe……. Looks yummy
Thanks good help for me…
Can I use Chana daal instead of toor daal
Can I use Chana daal instead of toor daal
It will change the taste. It will be seen and not blended. If you like that texture, you can try. But its called kootu
may i know why u never added tomato for sambar??????
You can add if you want – sautee after onion and proceed
Raks, this recipe is superb. Made this sambar with mulai keerai and it turned out yummy
Thank you 🙂
Nice recipe loved it
Very nice