Cheera Thoran/Spinach fry

Recipe of Cheera Thoran

Cheera-Few stalks

Coconut scraped-1/2 cup

Jeerakom-Pinch

Garlic-3

Mustard seeds-1 tsp

Oil-2 tsp

Chilli powder-1tsp

Turmeric powder-1 tsp

salt-As per the taste

Method

Finely chop the spinach after thorough washing. Add oil into a kadai, add mustard seeds and curry leaves. After spluttering add the cheera, add turmeric powder, salt and chilli powder to it. Grind coconut with jeerakom and garlic. Add this to the cheera. Cook for 10 minutes. Serve with rice.
I had done some posts about Spinach in my nature blog. Please have a look.

Malayalam: Cheera

English:Spinach

Sanskrit:Palakya

Spinach is a healthy food. It has lot of medicinal qualities also. Do not hesitate to include it into our daily diet. It will take more time to prepare spinach for cooking. Convince children about its medicinal effects.

PS: A very small story related to Cheera/ Spinach

Story is from Mahabharatha. Draupadi had a vessel named Akshaya pathra, which gave all the food to their crew. Whenever she finished her eating it will stop its food. Once Durvasa came to pandavas, at that time draupadi finished her meals. She was frightened and prayed krishna for a peaceful solution. Krishna adviced her to offer him anything that remained in the vessel. She found a leave of Cheera in one of sides and offered it to Lord Krishna with prayerful heart. At that time Durvasa and his followers hunger disappeared and they left. Is it a nice story??

Last month we had participated in famous Vallasadya of Aranmula temple, Kerala. During the sadya all the dishes are asked through 'Vanchipattu' the lines for Cheera thoran was like this , 'Panchaliyude pathrathile cheerathoran kondu vayo'. Its always interesting to know more about the dishes in that time.