Spinach Molagootal

Hi all!
I’m back after being out of circulation for a couple of weeks. We had a wonderful (albeit a little hot and insanely hectic) time in India and before we knew it, an entire month had gone by in the blink of an eye! Since our return, lethargy coupled with zero motivation has been making it hard for me to post anything at all. I have been busy in the kitchen though.

A few days back, I made a molagootal following a recipe that I first came across on a blog a few years back, and it has since become one of my favorites. Sadly though, the blog has been silent for too long now.
I did not make too many changes to the original recipe.

Spinach Molagootal (adapted from Saffron Hut’s blog)
Ingredients:
2 cups frozen spinach
¼ tsp turmeric powder
Salt

1 tsp oil
2 tsp urad dal
1 tsp cumin
3-4 red chillies

¾ cup toor dal, cooked
3 Tbsp coconut

For seasoning:
1 Tbsp oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp urad dal
A pinch of asafoetida
4-5 curry leaves
1-2 red chillies

Method:
Cook the frozen spinach along with turmeric and salt in ½ cup water. Blend to get a coarse paste. (I used my immersion blender.)

Heat oil in a small pan and roast the urad dal, red chillies and cumin seeds. Grind to a fine paste with the coconut.

Combine the spinach puree/paste, ground coconut-spice mixture and the cooked dal. Add a little bit of water. Cook and bring to a boil.

Heat the rest of the oil in the pan. Add all the ingredients for the seasoning. Pour the tempered oil over the molagootal.

Serve hot with rice.

This is being sent to Sra who is hosting the fourth edition of My Legume Love Affair.