Kadanja keerai (Spinach gravy)

Ingredients:

• Garlic- 5 pods
• Asoefetida powder - a pinch
• Spinach - small bunch
• Sugar - a pinch
• Water - 1/2 cup
• Urad dhal, mustard seeds - for seasoning (vagar)
• Red chillies - 4 to 5 pieces

 Procedure:

• Boil half a cup of water and add Asoefitida powder, salt as needed and 5 pods of garlic to this water
• Add a pinch of sugar to this
• Let it boil well
• Cut spinach and add it to this boiling water
• Squeeze the spinach inside and cover the vessel
• Let it boil on medium heat (make sure the water does not dry up)
• Grind the spinach mixture

Variation:

Add narthanga pickle one piece and 1 tablespoon of chopped, sauteed onions to the boiling spinach mixture before adding spinach

• For vagar/thallipu - add urad dhal, mustard, asoefitida powder, 4-5 red chillies and the black vadam (optional) to a bit of oil
• Let the mustard splutter and add it to the ground spinach.