Thandu keerai or red amaranth greens are very attractive because of its catchy colour. It is available in two colours: full red in colour and red & green mix. Unlike other greens, you can also cook stems(stalks) too. As like any other greens, it has also very high nutrients and fully loaded with dietry fibers.

This masiyal recipe is easy to prepare and also easy for digestion, as it is grind to paste. Use the leaves and tender stalks for this recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups thandu keerai (tightly packed)

2 to 3 tablespoons moong dhal

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

4 garlic cloves

4 to 5 pearl onion

1 small tomato

Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Wash all the ingredients. In a pan, add all the ingredients (except keerai), add enough water and boil it until everything softens.

Now add in the greens (keerai), salt and boil it for another couple of minutes.

Switch off and let it cool for few minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a blender and pulse it until it is pureed.

Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds & dry red chilly. When mustard seeds stops popping, add this tempering to pureed greens.

Tasty and Healthy keerai masiyal is ready to be served.

Notes:

It is a best toddler recipe. Without adding chilies, you can give this masiyal to toddlers and kids.

Traditionally, this cooked greens were mashed by using “Matthu”, a special wooden laddle. It gives authentic taste and texture. Since i don’t have matthu, here i have managed with the blender.

You can replace this red amaranthus greens with Amaranthus blitum ( mulai keerai) or Amaranthus dubius (arai keerai).