CHEERA THOREN

I never liked spinach when I was a kid. But as my taste buds matured , I learned to like it. Now I make it often . 

INGREDIENTS

1. 8 cups chopped spinach or a combination of greens (about 340 gms)
2. 1 cup shredded coconut(80 gms)
3. 1/2 of a large onion (125 gms.)
4. 4 garlic cloves, chopped
5. 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
6. 2 green chilies
7. 4 Tbsp oil
8. curry leaves
9. salt to taste ( spinach needs less salt)

METHOD

• Hand chop the spinach to get 8 cups of chopped spinach.
  
  
  
  

• Heat a wide sauté pan. When warm, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the chopped onions first, sauté till translucent and then add the garlic. (I like to give the onions a head start). Saute the garlic for a few seconds, don't let it brown. 
  

  

  
  
  

  

  
  
  

  

•  Then add the turmeric, green chilies, and curry leaves. Give it a good stir. 
  

• Now add the coconut. At this point, you can turn off the stove and cover it with a lid and keep covered for about 2 minutes. The coconut will cook in the heat retained.  The coconut can be pulsed in the mixie with turmeric, green chili, and curry leaves. That's optional but if the grated coconut is not very fine, then better pulse it. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Now turn on the heat to medium-high heat and add a handful of the chopped spinach. Stir well. Do the same two more times. Adding the spinach handfuls at a time will make it easy to stir and mix well with the coconut and not clump together.
• When the whole spinach is added to the pan, add 1 Tbsp. of water, stir well, then dab the spinach with a spoon, close the pan with a lid, and let the spinach steam cook for a minute. After a minute, open, stir, dab again and steam cook for a minute again. 
• Open the lid, stir the spinach and then add salt. When salt is added, the spinach will release water. Sauté, till the water has evaporated. Then turn off the stove. Don't cover the pan fully. Leave the lid halfway open.
• The spinach will still be cooking in the heat retained. After 10 minutes, turn on the stove to medium-low heat and stir fry for about 4 minutes and then turn off the stove and keep the pan half covered. Scatter the spinach around the pan and let cool.

                                       

• This is tasty with just rice. I do not like any other side dish with this. Rice and cheera thoren is the best combination.

CHEERA-PARIPPU THOREN

1. 1/2 cup cherupayar parippu or kadala parippu (tuar dal can also be used but cherupayar parippu and channa dal holds its shape well, compared to tuar dal)
2. 1/3 cup water
3. salt to taste 
4. rest of the ingredients are the same

• Soak the dal for atleast 30 minutes in water.
• Cook the dal with water and required salt for 1 whistle.
  
  
  
  

• Make the spinach using the above method. When done, add the cooked dal. Mix well. If the cooked dal is hot, mix after it cools down a bit or the dal will become very mushy.
  
  
  
  

NOTES

 

• Tried adding beaten egg into this to make cheera motta thoren. It was not good at all.