Keerai Molagootal Recipe – Kannamma Cooks (2024)

Keerai Molagootal Recipe, Keerai Molagootal, Spinach Molagootal Recipe.
Easy and traditional recipe for South Indian Keerai molagootal / Keerai Kootu. Recipe for spinach and lentil stew. Vegan and gluten free recipe. Usually served with rice.

I had this dish for the first time during my college days from a friends lunch box. It was during my post graduation and my class mate Krishnan offered me a bite from his lunch box. It looked like spinach rice. It was nutty, coconut-ty, comforting bite. I asked him what it was and he told me it was Molagootal. That was the first time I heard that word. I loved that dish. I kind of finished half of his lunch box that day. It was a fantastic meal. Simple, comforting everyday meal. He took me to his home that day evening and I thanked his mother for the Molagootal. I got the recipe too. Here is the recipe for Krishnan’s Molagootal.

Here is the video of how to make keerai molagootal at home.

Click the link below to find the recipes on the site that uses the main ingredient as Spinach and lentils.
Spinach Recipes / Greens Recipes
Toor Dal Recipes

Here are some of the equipment, utensils and gadgets that will be useful for making this recipe. Click the link to buy them online.
Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker
Triply Stainless Steel Kadai
Tri-ply Stainless Steel Frying Pan
Pro Mixer Grinder 1000 Watt
Pyrex mixing bowls set
Swiss Classic KITCHEN KNIFE
Prep Cutting Board

Here is the step by step pics / procedure for how to make keerai molagootal at home.
Boil about 2 cups of spinach in 1 cup of water for 2-3 minutes in medium flame. Remove off heat. No need to cook the greens for long. Just cook until wilted. That’s enough. Grind the cooked spinach to a coarse puree. Set aside.
Note: Save the spinach water / the cooking liquid. We shall use that later.

Boil half a cup of toor-dal with 2 cups of water and a little turmeric powder in a pressure cooker for 7-8 minutes or 4 whistles. Remove off heat. Let the pressure release naturally from the cooker. Slightly mash the lentils. Set aside.

Take a pan / kadai and heat 2 teaspoons of coconut oil in it. Add in the whole white urad dal, cumin seeds and black pepper. Roast in a very low flame until the urad dal is nice and brown. Getting the urad dal nice and brown is the key. It should smell nutty when the dal turns brown. Add in half a cup of shredded coconut. Briefly saute everything to combine. Remove off heat. Add enough water (use the saved spinach cooking water / liquid) to the mixture and grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.

The Final Tempering of the keerai molagootal:
Take a deep pan and add a teaspoon of coconut oil. When the oil is hot, add in the mustard seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida and the turmeric. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the spinach paste, coconut mixture paste and the cooked toor dal. Add in the salt. Let it simmer for 3-4 minutes on a low flame. Remove off heat.

Serve hot with rice.

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