Kerala Cheera Thoran | Spinach Stir Fry

Kerala Cheera Thoran is a tasty savory dish prepared from red/green spinach leaves. It can be relished as a favorite accompaniment with hot rice. Cheera/spinach leaves tastes awesome if plucked directly from your kitchen garden. The traditional dish is unique and delicious with tender spinach leaves chopped and blended with a spicy coconut mixture and a few basic spices. This simple and tasty dish is quite popular in South India. Cheera, also termed spinach is a nutrient dense green leafy vegetable, that is also a staple in Kerala Cuisine and used in a wide range of dishes like curries, stews and stir fries. Thoran is a typical Kerala styled dish prepared with greens or vegetables that are stir fried with grated coconut and other spicy flavorful ingredients. Preparing a thoran dish is a great way to incorporate vegetables into your diet. Spinach Stir Fry is one of the simplest dishes to prepare, packed with nutrients and flavor. In Kerala, thoran dishes are often prepared for festivals such as Onam and Vishu. It is also a popular dish served for everyday meals.

For preparing Kerala Cheera Thoran, the spinach leaves washed and finely chopped. Cooking the leaves with grated leaves and other flavorings gives the dish a delicious and unique flavor, loved by all. Spinach leaves are rich in nutrition loaded with vital nutrients like vitamins, antioxidants and minerals required for human body. Red Spinach aids digestion, improves anemia and increases immunity. High in fiber and low in calories, spinach dishes make a great addition to any diet. Kids as well as elders should consume the iron rich dish at least once a week. Spinach Stir Fry is often served with rice and other curries. The dish is also a great alternative for vegans and vegetarians who are looking for a tasty alternative to meat dishes. You can explore a step wise illustrated Kerala Cheera Thoran dish here. The dish is definitely worth for a try.

Kerala Cheera Thoran

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Cuisine Kerala

Servings 3 people

Ingredients

  

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• 5 cups Cheera leaves Spinach
• 1/2 of Coconut grated
• 3 nos Green chillies
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds Jeerakam
• 3 tbsp Coconut oil
• 4 nos Garlic cloves
• 2 nos Dry red chillies Kollamulaku
• 2 tsp Plain rice Pachari/Puzhukkalari
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• Salt As required
• Curry leaves A few

Instructions

 

• For preparing Kerala Cheera Thoran, first clean the spinach leaves well and chop it finely.
• Meanwhile, grind together coconut, turmeric powder, green chillies, cumin seeds, garlic and curry leaves into a coarse form.
• :- Do not add water while grinding.
• Mix together the chopped cheera along with the coconut mixture and required salt.
• Heat oil in a pan or a kadai.
• Splutter mustard seeds and saute dry red chillies, rice and curry leaves.
• Add the cheera-coconut mixture and mix well.
• Cover and cook on a low flame for about 1 to 2 mins.
• Remove the lid and continue cooking till done on a low flame itself.
• :- If it gets overcooked, it tends to lose the red colour of cheera. So, make sure you do not overcook it.
• :- Serve Kerala Cheera Thoran with rice.

Notes

You can visit this link for a variety dish with spinach leaves Cheera Cherupayar Parippu Curry. You can also visit this link for a variety dish prepared from fenugreek leaves Gujarathi methi thepla.

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