Palak Kuttu also Keerai Mulagootal and Keerai Kootu is home-cooked everyday Indian curry with dal, yes lentils and spinach, healthy and flavourful.
However, let us start at the very beginning...
The roots of the word Curry is a Tamil.
Curries made from vegetables, lentils/ dals are vegetarian curries and curries made from fish, meat, poultry, or shellfish, either alone or in combination with vegetables are non-vegetarian curries. Again, you can have dry curry, where the cooking liquid is allowed to evaporate. In a wet curry, the gravy has some of the cooking liquid.
Gravy or curry can be different, as the base can be onion, onion tomato, coconut, cream, curds, or even dal.

Palak Kuttu,Keerai Mulagootal,Keerai Kootu
The present popular avatar of Curry available in restaurants as a creamy, red/white/yellow/green in colour gravy with oil running on the top is popularised in the West by British colonialists from India for spiced dishes, from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Thai, and other South Asian and Southeast Asian cuisines.
Cooking at home takes into account many factors from the season, availability of local produce, the nutritive requirements and the family tastes into consideration. Food every day is varied, one cannot eat the same food day in and out with the use of different ingredients, herbs and spices.
In South Indian home popular curries are sambhar a lentil based thick stew with veggies in a tangy tamarind base and rasam which is more watery. The third kind is Kootu to which even I am new.
The three sambhar, rasam and kootu can be made in different ways and you will have different flavours. The addition of simple ingredient like say, a tomato can change the flavour of the curry.
This Kootu recipe I have copied from Rajani, according to her a “Kootu is usually a mix of one or more vegetables cooked with lentils and then rounded off with ground spicy coconut paste.” In the Kootu coconut not only helps thicken the gravy but also gives it an amazing flavour. As I said, what goes in the coconut paste varies from recipe to recipe household to household. Not a fan of coconut? No problems skip it!
Thanks to these combinations, we can have varied kinds of gravies that we can have with roti/rice.
The other dal variety you may be interested in are
- Lauki aur Chana Dal Recipe|Bottle Gourd and Split Bengal Gram Recipe
- Subzi & Daal
- #5 Lentils Mixed Panchmel Dal Recipe | Panchratni Recipe
Recipe copied from Rajani .

Palak Kuttu
Palak Kuttu/Keerai Mulagootal/Keerai Kootu
- Serves: 4 people
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
- Cooking time:20 minutes
Ingredients:
To sauté and grind:
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 2 tablespoon urad dal
- 3-4 dry red chillies
- 1 teaspoon jeera/cumin seeds
- ¼ cup coconut
- Water as needed
For the kootu:
- 4 cups spinach, chopped
- ½ cup moong or toor dal, cooked separately
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 dry red chillies
Method:
For Sauté and grinding:
- Heat oil in a kadhai/wok add urad dal, red chillies.
- Let the dal turns brown, add jeera, and turn off the heat.
- Cool and grind with the coconut to a smooth paste adding a little water. Set aside.
To make the kootu:
- Cook moong dal or toor dal with ¼ teaspoon haldi/turmeric powder.
- Heat in a kadhai/wok, add one teaspoon mustard seeds and red chillies to it.
- Once the mustard splutters, add cleaned and chopped spinach. Add a little water and let it cook.
- Add cooked dal to the spinach mix well.
- Add the ground paste and water as needed.
- Mix everything in, adding salt to taste.
- Add water as needed to bring it the consistency you prefer.
- Serve with rice and pickle. In my place, we ate it with roti.

Keerai Mulagootal

Palak Kuttu/Keerai Mulagootal/Keerai Kootu
Ingredients
To sauté and grind:
- 1 teaspoon Oil
- 2 tablespoon urad dal
- 3-4 dry red chillies
- 1 teaspoon Jeera/cumin seeds
- ¼ cup Coconut
- Water as needed
For the kootu:
- 4 cups Spinach chopped
- ½ cup moong or toor dal cooked separately
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- Salt to Taste
- 1 teaspoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
- 1 dry red chillies
Instructions
For Sauté and Grinding:
- Heat oil in a kadhai/wok add urad dal, red chillies.
- Let the dal turns brown, add jeera, and turn off the heat.
- Cool and grind with the coconut to a smooth paste adding a little water. Set aside.
To make the kootu:
- Cook moong dal or toor dal with ¼ teaspoon haldi/turmeric powder.
- Heat in a kadhai/wok, add one teaspoon mustard seeds and red chillies to it.
- Once the mustard splutters, add cleaned and chopped spinach. Add a little water and let it cook.
- Add cooked dal to the spinach mix well.
- Add the ground paste and water as needed.
- Mix everything in, adding salt to taste.
- Add water as needed to bring it the consistency you prefer.
- Serve with rice and pickle. In my place we ate it with roti.
Srivalli says
Keerai Mulagootal is a fantastic way to include greens in our everyday menu..you have got it done so well!..good to have you back Arch!
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Valli. It's great to be back.
Gayathri Kumar says
I usually make kootu with gourds, but never tried to make keerai kootu. But it is a wonderful way to add greens in diet. Looks so yum Arch..
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Gayatri. Like I said I am new to this there is a lot to explore.
Priya Suresh says
Mulagootal is one of my favourite, whenever i feel like having some easy and comforting i cant think more than making mulagootal. Love this dish very much.
ArchanaPotdar says
😀
Nisha Ramesh says
The best way to eat greens and a comfort dish. 🙂 It is so tempting and it come out perfectly well. 🙂 🙂
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Nisha.
Renu says
This is interesting and a new recipe to me, as I have never tried Kootu. Bookmarking it.
ArchanaPotdar says
We are 2 of us who are in the same boat Renu.
harini says
The kootu masala varies from family to family, right. This version sounds flavorful as well. And spinach and dal in any avatar is welcome at home.
ArchanaPotdar says
My kootu journey begins now. I need to explore.
Mayuri Patel says
A healthy and filling curry. I'm learning so much about the South Indian cuisine. Till now didn't really understand what kootu was.
ArchanaPotdar says
Welcome to the club Mayuri and mind you I am technically a South Indian. 😀
Sowmya says
Kootu is a lifesaver Archana....I hated it as a child but ever since I started cooking, I make it so often. Love your keerai kootu....makes me want to grab a bowl and slurp on it!
ArchanaPotdar says
😀
Farah says
Not a big fan of kootu!! But urs is something to try for sure! Looks lovely archana!
ArchanaPotdar says
Thank you, Farah.
sapna says
I once tasted a simple kootu curry at a friend’s house and totally loved it, this one looks more delicious with spinach.
ArchanaPotdar says
Thank you Sapna.
Padmajha PJ says
We don't make molagootal that often Archana. But would like to make it sometime soon.One of the best ways to add greens to the meal.
ArchanaPotdar says
😀
Sushma Pinjala says
Kuttu looks delicious. Thanks fro sharing the recipe.
ArchanaPotdar says
Thank you, Sushma.
Jyoti Babel says
A delicious and healthy curry. Never used palak this way.
ArchanaPotdar says
😀
preeti garg says
Looks so delicious.
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks.
Maria says
We call this curry daal saag in Punjabi but it has a different flavour profile. I really enjoyed learning about Kuttu and other South Indian curries. Would love to try this version with coconut. Looks absolutely delicious!
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Maria.