Kale With Coconut (Kale Thoran)

This green is tough! I had not tried cooking it till recently because I wasn't sure what I wanted to make with it. Then my parents dined at a Sri Lankan restaurant where they tried kale with coconut and they loved it. So there it was, my inspiration! A favorite specialty, of mine, from Kerala is their thoran, sort of a stir fry. So I decided to make thoran out of kale.

For this you will need

1 Bunch - Kale (I used the curly green)
1 Tablespoon - Coconut (I used frozen and thawed grated coconut)
3-4 pods - Garlic
2 Teaspoons - Red Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon - Turmeric Powder
2 Teaspoons - Cumin Seeds
Few Curry Leaves (Optional)
1/2 Red Onion - Fine Chopped
1 Teaspoon - Mustard Seeds
2-3 Teaspoons - Oil
Salt as per your taste
A pinch of sugar

Method -

Chop kale as fine as possible. In a flat bottom pan add the oil. Once hot, add the mustard seeds. When they crackle, add the chopped onions and fry till they turn light pink.

Now add the chopped kale, a pinch of sugar and salt. Toss, cover and let cook for a couple of minutes. In the meantime, blend the cumin, coconut, red chili powder, turmeric powder, garlic and curry leaves coarsely. Not a fine paste and do not add water. Once the kale is cooked, add the ground mixture, toss and serve.