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.
Yesterday I had made veli cheera thoran. Its very healthy, tasty and easy to make dish. We have to pluck the tender part of the cheera with leaves. Inspect it thoroughly and wash it. Chop it as thin as you can. Add some oil to the kadai, splutter some mustard seeds. Put these cheera pieces with salt, turmeric powder and chilli powder. In medium flame close the kadai and allow the leaves to cook. Grind the shredded coconut, cumin seeds and some garlic seeds. Add this to the cheera, open the lid and leave them open till the water content evaporates. Its a nice accompaniment with rice. 
