Keerai Poriyal South Indian Recipe | Amaranth Stir Fry | How to make Thotakura Fry

A quick, simple and healthy Keerai Poriyal South Indian Recipe with Amaranth greens. Amaranth leaves are very good for health and a regular feature in my kitchen. We enjoy it in the form of stir fry, mixed with dal or mashed like in keerai masiyal (thotakura pululsu)….every form has its uniqueness in taste!!

Amaranth greens, streaked through with shades of red and purple look so gorgeous. They almost have similar characteristics and taste to spinach. Amaranth greens have a deep flavour and a tender texture that makes it ideal for use in stir-fries and sautés. Amaranth leaves are known as thandu keerai in Tamil or thottakura in telugu.

According to Ayurveda, the juice extracted from amaranth leaves help in treating diarrhoea. It is loaded with vitamins and essential minerals, and regular consumption helps in easing digestion, excessive menstruation and weight management. Since it is high in iron content and dietary fibre, it is good for anaemic patients, and reduces cholesterol and risks of cardiovascular diseases. I make sure to grab them when  abundant in the market (Indian or Asian stores) and it is the best way of fuelling up on the season’s best offerings.

Chose the fresh bunches for this healthy and yummy treat. The beauty of this is, one can use the stems as well as the leaves. Look for young, tender leaves with thin stems. Don’t pick any with flowers, since these are older with very thick fibrous stems that should generally be avoided.

Amaranth greens need no embellishment aside from a few cloves of garlic and some onions. You can also lightly steam them, sprinkle a few spices and a drizzle of your favourite oil. If you buy the red-leafed variety, the leaves exude a blood-red juice and when cooked the red colour stains the garlic and onions, which I think looks cool!! 

Off to Keerai Poriyal South Indian Recipe!!

Step by step process for Keerai Poriyal South Indian Recipe:

• Clean keerai (amaranth / thandu keerai/ thotakura). Remove root parts (if any) and fibre from the thick stalks. The ones I buy do not have any roots.
• Chop onions, slit green chillies, peel garlic and set aside.

• Wash amaranth greens with 2 to 3 exchanges of water and chop finely along with tender stalks.
• Remove thick stalks that are mature and unable to cut. 

NOTE:

The stalks I have separated (picture below) are still tender though they look fat. You can test by breaking the stalk- if it breaks easily, you can use it, otherwise discard it. Mostly the lowermost parts just above roots are very fibrous. You can also see the fibre I have removed from these stalks (picture below).

• Heat oil in a deep pan over medium heat. Add broken red chilies, mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
• Once mustard seeds pop up, add chopped onions, slit green chillies, peeled garlic and curry leaves.
• Sauté  till the onions turn translucent. 

• Now add only the chopped stem part of the keerai (amaranth thandu keerai/ thotakura).
• To this add required salt, turmeric powder and mix well.
• Close with a lid and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

NOTE:

The stem part is added first because they require more time to cook compared to the leaves.

• Now add in the chopped leaves part of the amaranth greens.

• Do not add water as it leaves water while it gets cooked.
• Close with a lid and cook on medium high heat for for 5 to 6 minutes. The volume of the leaves added shrinks during this time.
• Open the lid and stir till all the water evaporates. Make sure not to burn it.
• Simmer and cook till the stems become tender and water evaporates completely.
• Finally sprinkle grated coconut and mix well.
• Adjust salt if needed and turn off the heat.

• Serve with hot rice or as a side to sambar, rasam, pappu charu or as a side to rotis.

A Quick Summary:

Print Recipe

Keerai Poriyal South Indian Recipe | Amaranth Stir Fry | How to make Thotakura Fry

Keerai Poriyal South Indian Recipe is a healthy, quick and simple preparation of amaranth leaves with garlic and coconut.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian (South Indian)

Servings: 2 to 3

Author: Padma

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 3 to 4 red chilies or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
• 1 Onion finely chopped
• 2 green chillies slit lengthwise
• 8 to 10 garlic flakes peeled
• A sprig of Curry leaves
• 3 cups of fresh amaranth greens with tender stems wash, remove fibre from stems & finely chop (Thandu keerai or Thotakura)
• 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 cup grated fresh Coconut

Instructions

• Heat oil in a deep pan over medium heat. Add broken red chilies, mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
• Once mustard seeds pop up, add chopped onions, slit green chillies, peeled garlic and curry leaves.
• Sauté till the onions turn translucent.
• Now add only the chopped stem part of the amaranth greens, salt, turmeric powder and mix well.
• Close with a lid and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Now add chopped leaves part of the amaranth greens.
• Close with a lid and cook on medium high heat for for 5 to 6 minutes.
• Open the lid and stir fry till all the water evaporates.
• Finally sprinkle grated coconut, mix well and turn off the heat.
• Serve with hot rice or as a side to sambar or rasam.

My Notes:

1. I  have used amaranth greens to make this stir fry, you can replace it with any Greens of your choice.
2. Adding both Green chillies & Red chillies gives spiciness to curry.
3. Adjust spice levels to suit your taste.
4. You can also include a teaspoon each of channa dal (split chickpeas) and urad dal (split black gram) while tempering. I usually avoid when I use garlic.

Happy Cooking 🙂

Cheers!!

Padma.