The Boon called Telecommunication!

The way the world has advanced, and continues to do so at great speed, is kind of scary! At times I wonder how we managed before the boons of technology were bestowed upon us - like when we had to do all the washing by hand, or when we had to depend on snail-mail to communicate with someone overseas, or when we were anxious about a loved one who was late and there was no mobile phone to contact them. Although, I still do like the charm of handwritten letters and cards :)
Anyways, the reason for this ramble is that I felt like making my dear MIL's 'keerai kozhambu' and all I had to do was pick up my (cordless, see, another example for our clever technology) phone and dial the number to speak to her in the States, that easy! So, we chatted for a bit and she gave me the recipe and I made it for lunch today for the (adequately) impressed M! After all, mum's cooking makes our men all mushy :)

• spinach, 1 large bunch - I used a tray of fresh baby spinach.
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 medium onion, roughly chopped/sliced
• 1/2 cup cooked toor dal
• 2 tbspns grated coconut - I did not have fresh coconut so I used desiccated instead
• 1/4 tspn sambar powder or plain chilli powder

For tempering -

• 1 tspn oil - use coconut oil for a more authentic flavour
• 1/4 tspn mustard seeds
• 1/4 tspn cumin seeds (jeera)
• a pinch of hing
• 2 red (dry) chillies
• 1/4 tspn chana dal

1. Roughly chop the spinach. If you're using baby spinach like I did, then you don't have to chop it.
2. Cook the spinach, garlic and onion together. I did it in the microwave. Let it cool completely.
3. Then combine the cooked stuff with cooked toor dal, sambar powder and coconut in a blender. I just pulsed it a couple of times.
4. In a saucepan/kadai, heat oil and add all the ingredients for tempering.
5. Pour in the spinach and dal mixture and add water to get a sort of flowy gravy consistency.
6. Add salt and let simmer for a couple of minutes.
7. Keerai Kozhambu is ready to be served with hot rice.