Cooking with Kale

Kale is such a nutrient rich green leafy vegetable. I have been trying different forms of cooking kale to include it in our diet. Few of my experiments have been kale kai, kale paruppisili and kale kootu.

Kale Kai

Kale Kai:
Kale - 1 large bunch
Channa dal - about 1/2 cup
coconut grated - 4 tbsp
salt to taste
oil - 1 tbsp
mustard - 1 tsp
urad dal - 1 tbsp
red chillies - 4 broken
asafoetida - 1/8 tsp
curry leaves - few



 Separate the kale stems from the leaves. Chop the stems finely and cook separately. Cook channa dal with little salt until well cooked but not mushy. In a a pan, a oil. Add mustard seeds. when they splutter, add urad dal and red chillies. Once urad dal has browned, add asafoetida, curry leaves followed by cooked channa dal. Saute for a minute or so. Now add the cooked kale stems. Saute unilt water evaporates. Add cleaned chopped kale leaves and sprinkle salt to taste. Stir until kale becomes bright green and is cooked. Add grated coconut. Serve warm.

Kale Kootu:
Kale - 1 large bunch
Moong dal - 1/2 cup
Coconut grated - 4 tbsp
Red chillies - 3
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
urad dal - 1 tbsp
curry leave - few
asafoetida - 1/8 tsp

Separate the kale stems from the leaves. Chop the stems finely and cook separately.  Cook the moong dal in a vessel. When the moong dal is almost cooked, add the cooked stems. Add salt to taste. Now add the cleaned chopped kale leaves. Cook for a few minutes. Meantime grind together coconut, red chillies and cumin seeds. Add this to the moong dal kale mixture. Simmer and remove from flame. Add tadka of mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and asafoetida.



Kale Paruppusili: 
Kale - 1 large bunch
Toovar dal - 1/2 cup
red chillies - 4
Oil - 3 tbsp
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
urad dal - 1 tbsp
curry leaves - few
asafoetida - 1/8 tsp
salt to taste


Soak toovar dal with red chillies for an hour. Separate the kale stems from the leaves. Chop the stems finely and cook separately. Coarsely grind the toovar dal and red chillies with salt and very little water. In a pan, add oil, mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and asafoetida. When urad dal becomes brown, add the coarsely ground paste of toovar dal and red chillies. Cover and let this cook for several minutes until the dal is cooked and the mixture becomes like a crumble. This may take some time and need extra oil. Now add the cooked stems. Saute until all the water evaporates. Add cleaned chopped kale leave. Add salt fot the kale leaves alone. Stir well. Lower flame and cover for couple of minutes. Remove lid and stir well. Paruppusili is ready.