Start by prepping the Manathakkali Keerai/ greens. Trim and discard the roots. Use only the leaves and tender stems of the greens. Soak all greens in salted water before chopping them up. This takes care of all critters possibly hiding unseen in the leaves. Rinse and chop the leaves and tender stems into small pieces, but not very fine.

The split moong lentils/ dal should be coked quite soft. Do not discard the water in which it has cooked.

Heat the sesame oil in a largish pot. Add the garlic and chopped green chillies and stir fry for a few minutes. Then add the shallots/ sambhar onions and fry till they’re soft and just beginning to caramelize. Add the chopped tomato and cook till soft.

Stir in the turmeric powder and tamarind pulp. Drain and keep aside half of the water used to cook the lentils. Add the remaining water and the cooked split moong lentils/ dal to the pot. Add the chopped greens and salt to taste. Let this cook for about 5 to 10 minutes till the greens have cooked.

Take the pot off the heat. Using a wooden churn or “matthu”, or a potato masher if you don’t have one, mash the greens-lentil mixture till it has broken down a bit. You don’t want a pulp, just a cohesive mixture.

Put the pot back on the stove and add the water that was earlier set aside from cooking the lentils. Bring to a boil, and cook for a couple of minutes till you have a thick soup/ stew like consistency.

Heat the oil for the seasoning. When it is hot, break up the balls of Thalippu Vadagam into the oil along with the broken red chillies and curry leaves. Do not burn. Pour the seasoned oil into the Kadayal.

Stir in the seasoning and serve hot with rice, ghee and pappad or fried vadam (rice crisps).