Paruppu Keerai Kulambu (Spinach Dal Curry)

Rinse the toor dal thoroughly under running water two to three times until the water runs clear. Add the washed dal to a pressure cooker with 1 cup of water and a pinch of turmeric. Pressure cook on medium heat for 3 to 4 whistles until the dal is soft and fully cooked. Set aside and allow the pressure to release naturally. Once cool, lightly mash the dal with a spoon or whisk and keep it ready.

Soak the tamarind in ½ cup of warm water for 10 minutes. Using your fingers, squeeze and extract the thick tamarind juice. Strain out the seeds and fibres and set the tamarind extract aside. This tangy tamarind water forms the flavourful base of the kulambu so make sure you extract a nice deep brown juice.

Heat sesame oil in a heavy-bottomed kadai or deep pan over medium flame. Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter fully. Then add the cumin seeds, dried red chillies, curry leaves, and a generous pinch of asafoetida. Let the tempering sizzle and become fragrant for about 30 seconds, taking care not to burn the spices.

Add the crushed garlic cloves to the tempering and sauté for one minute until the raw smell disappears and the garlic turns lightly golden. Next, add the finely chopped onions and slit green chillies. Sauté on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions turn soft, translucent, and lightly golden at the edges.

Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan along with turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, and sambar powder. Mix everything well and cook on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes break down completely and the oil begins to separate from the masala. This step is important to remove the raw flavour from the spice powders.

Pour in the extracted tamarind water along with 1 cup of additional water. Add salt to taste and stir well to combine. Bring the gravy to a boil on medium-high heat and then reduce the flame to medium. Allow the kulambu to simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the raw tamarind smell fades and the gravy thickens slightly and deepens in colour.

Add the chopped and washed spinach leaves to the simmering kulambu. Stir gently to combine the keerai into the gravy. Cook on medium heat for just 3 to 4 minutes until the spinach wilts and becomes tender. Be careful not to overcook the greens at this stage as they should retain their colour and fresh flavour to make the kulambu vibrant and nutritious.

Add the mashed toor dal to the pan and mix everything together well. Adjust the consistency of the kulambu by adding a little warm water if it looks too thick — this kulambu should have a medium-flowing gravy consistency, not too thin or too thick. Taste and adjust salt and tamarind at this stage if needed.

Bring the kulambu to a final gentle boil on low to medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, allowing all the flavours — the keerai, dal, tamarind, and spices — to meld together beautifully. Switch off the flame. Drizzle a few extra drops of sesame oil on top for a final fragrant finish. Serve hot with steamed white rice, a small portion of papad, and a drizzle of ghee.