Cheera Thoran or Keera Poriyal
This side dish that goes very well with cooked rice and with any curry was one I used to get a chance to savor quite often back in my mother's house. There is the green variety of Cheera, the red and a mix of both the colors in the same spinach type. All three are quite tasty when cooked.
I remember my mother usually making the dish with the red/purplish variety of Cheera/spinach. We used to get real crazy about the red Cheera/spinach because, as we mixed it with the rice, it used to turn the white rice all red or rather a dark pink or purple in color, almost like when you add the beets, which appeared to our childish minds quite exciting and enticing to eat . I sorely miss the red spinach here and it was just by chance that I happened on the same spinach at the local Chinese market, the one that was a mix of both green and red.
Separate the leaves from the stem and thoroughly wash and rinse the spinach. Chop the Cheera /spinach leaves and the softer stems if any into small pieces and set aside.
Ingredients :
1: Chopped Cheera/spinach: 2-3 cups
2: Grated coconut: half cup
3: Green chilies: 3 no.s
4: Cumin seeds: 1 tbsp
5: Turmeric powder: 1 Tsp
6: Garlic pods : 3 no.s
7: Dry Red chilly: 2 no.s pieced ( for garnish)
8: Mustard seeds: 1 Tsp
9: Shallots (small red onions): 4-5 pieces chopped
10: Urad dhal: 1 Tsp
11: Channa dhaal: 1 Tsp
12: Curry leaves: 2 -3 sprigs
13: Oil (any edible kind, coconut oil is: 2-3 spoons
better for this dish)
You can also use raw rice ,(any variety) for garnish instead of the dhaals.
Cooking Directions
First grind the grated coconut into a coarse paste with the green chillies, cumin seeds , turmeric powder, garlic and some curry leaves without adding any water.
Now mix this coconut mixture well with the spinach and add enough salt and keep aside.
Heat a tava/ wide pan with some oil and add the mustard seeds and let splutter. Then add the dhaals/ rice and let it fry then add the red chilly pieces along with the curry leaves. After a few seconds add in the shallots and let them slightly brown and then add the cheera/ spinach mixture and mix in and check for salt.
Close the pan and let cook for 2-3 minutes and then take away the lid and open and let the cheera cook .
Stir the mixture around to get it all cooked well but be careful not to overcook the cheera as it could burn and would not savor well.
Enjoy your cheera Thoran with steaming rice.
This side dish that goes very well with cooked rice and with any curry was one I used to get a chance to savor quite often back in my mother's house. There is the green variety of Cheera, the red and a mix of both the colors in the same spinach type. All three are quite tasty when cooked.
I remember my mother usually making the dish with the red/purplish variety of Cheera/spinach. We used to get real crazy about the red Cheera/spinach because, as we mixed it with the rice, it used to turn the white rice all red or rather a dark pink or purple in color, almost like when you add the beets, which appeared to our childish minds quite exciting and enticing to eat . I sorely miss the red spinach here and it was just by chance that I happened on the same spinach at the local Chinese market, the one that was a mix of both green and red.
Separate the leaves from the stem and thoroughly wash and rinse the spinach. Chop the Cheera /spinach leaves and the softer stems if any into small pieces and set aside.
Ingredients :
1: Chopped Cheera/spinach: 2-3 cups
2: Grated coconut: half cup
3: Green chilies: 3 no.s
4: Cumin seeds: 1 tbsp
5: Turmeric powder: 1 Tsp
6: Garlic pods : 3 no.s
7: Dry Red chilly: 2 no.s pieced ( for garnish)
8: Mustard seeds: 1 Tsp
9: Shallots (small red onions): 4-5 pieces chopped
10: Urad dhal: 1 Tsp
11: Channa dhaal: 1 Tsp
12: Curry leaves: 2 -3 sprigs
13: Oil (any edible kind, coconut oil is: 2-3 spoons
better for this dish)
You can also use raw rice ,(any variety) for garnish instead of the dhaals.
Cooking Directions
First grind the grated coconut into a coarse paste with the green chillies, cumin seeds , turmeric powder, garlic and some curry leaves without adding any water.
Now mix this coconut mixture well with the spinach and add enough salt and keep aside.
Heat a tava/ wide pan with some oil and add the mustard seeds and let splutter. Then add the dhaals/ rice and let it fry then add the red chilly pieces along with the curry leaves. After a few seconds add in the shallots and let them slightly brown and then add the cheera/ spinach mixture and mix in and check for salt.
Close the pan and let cook for 2-3 minutes and then take away the lid and open and let the cheera cook .
Stir the mixture around to get it all cooked well but be careful not to overcook the cheera as it could burn and would not savor well.
Enjoy your cheera Thoran with steaming rice.
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