Go Back
–+ servings
Keerai Sambar
Print

Keerai Sambar | Spinach Sambhar | Cooker Recipe

Keerai sambar, a quick and easy pressure cooker recipe made with fresh fenugreek/methi leaves and toor dal. I have used methi/fenugreek greens, this can be made with any fresh spinach available in hand.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Indian, South-Indian
Keyword How to make keerai sambar, Keerai sambar recipe, Paruppu keerai recipe, Pressure cooker recipe, Sambar recipe, spinach recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 3
Calories

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 3 bunches Methi leaves/Vendhaya keerai approximate 4-5 cups when chopped
  • ½ cup toor dal/Split pigeon peas
  • 1 no medium tomato chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste

To Grind Fresh Masala

  • ¼ cup freshly grated coconut
  • 1&½ teaspoon sambar powder homemade or store-bought
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 20 grams tamarind , a small marble of tamarind
  • a small piece of ginger
  • handful of fresh coriander leaves
  • few curry leaves

Tempering

  • 1 teaspoon oil, i normally use gingely oil/peanut oil for cooking these days
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds/kadugu
  • ¼ teaspoon methi seeds /fenugreek seeds

Instructions

  • Prepare the methi/vendhaya keerai the previous day to ease cooking. Chop off the roots, roughly chop the spinach, immerse in water for 10 minutes, drain and set aside until use.
  • While the spinach is resting, wash and soak toor dal in water for 10 minutes
  • In a spice grinder or small mixie jar, take ingredients given under "Fresh masala, to grind", add enough water and grind it to a smooth paste.
  • Heat a pressure cooker with oil for tempering, splutter mustard seeds, add hing and methi seeds to this.
  • Add chopped tomatoes to this and saute for a minute or until the tomatoes become soft.
  • Next tip in the drained spinach to this and saute for a minute.
  • Add the drained toor dal, ground masala to this. Add 1 cup of water to the blender jar, washa nd add the liquid to this cooker.
  • Add salt, turmeric powder and another cup of water, mix well. Close the pressure cooker and pressure cook for 4 whistles.
  • Let the pressure fall on its own. Open the cooker, mix well. Serve this hot with rice/quinoa.
  • Any leftover sambar can be refrigerated for a day. Try and use it the next day itself.