Callaloo Stir Fry / Amaranth Stir Fry / Mulai Keerai Poriyal

After a way long time i find this Amaranth Leaves / Mulai Keerai in the local Grocery store, like Indian here we do not get varieties of Greens only spinach. And in Indian Grocery store can get Methi leaves and rarely Drumstick leaves & Sorrel Leaves. During our this month's visit to Chicago's Devon street shopping i am happy to saw this Amaranth leaves in one shop in the name of Callaloo. I have no idea on the name but the leaves look like that of Amaranth leaves/Mulai Keerai. So i searched on web for Callaloo and finally happy to know that its same Amaranth leaves with different name. Soon i picked a bunch of it since i love Mulai keerai poriyal and masiyal a lot. After coming home next day made this poriyal and loved it so much. Wanted to try Keerai Masiyal with it soon.
Callaloo Stir fry is one such quick and healthy stir fry which can be served with plain rice or as a side dish with variety rice, sambar sadham, rasam n rice. I served with Rice & Tomattilo Dal, that was a delicious & filling combo.

Ingredients

1. Callaloo/Amaranth/Mulai Keerai    1 bunch (washed and chopped finely)
2. Onion     1 medium (finely chopped)
3. Shredded coconut    1 tbsp(optional)
4. Garlic    3 big cloves (chopped)
5. Dry red chillies    1-2 no. (broken)
6. Mustard seeds     1/2 tsp
7. Chana dal     2 tsp
8. Thoor dal/Tuvar Dal    1/4 cup(cooked but not mushy)
9. Turmeric powder   a small pinch
10. Salt      as needed
11. Oil     2 tsp

Method

• Pick the leaves from the stalks and set aside. I used the tender stalks also.Then chop finely and wash thoroughly and drain excess water using colander and keep aside.
• Cook thoor dal with turmeric powder but not mushy tender n cooked dal is enough.

• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds allow to splutter .
• And add chana dal fry till golden brown, then add the dry chillies and chopped onions & garlic.
• Fry the onion for a minute and add the chopped callaloo.

• Add a pinch of turmeric powder n stir well then close it with a lid a for a minute and no need to add water.
• After a minute, open the lid and give a gentle stir and cook for another minute without closing the lid.

• Then add the cooked thoor dal, shredded coconut and enough salt and stir gently.
• That's it..Callaloo stir fry ready. 

Notes:
Adding cooked dal makes stir fry even more healthy n tasty. But its purely optional.
Instead of cooked tuvar dal you can also use moong dal.
The same way instead of amaranth you can make Spinach stir fry or with any greens, Drumstick leaves stir fry but drumstick leaves need little extra time to cook.