Spinach stir fry ( Cheera Thoran)

Vegetables are good for our health but we hardly eat them, either because it takes time to make a dish out of it or because our tastebuds don’t accept it. One particular vegetable that we all find difficult to feed our kids or ourselves is Spinach. Spinach is loaded with nutrients and is rightly called a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals. But the more healthy something is the more difficult it is to eat it. Spinach also falls in this category.

During childhood, my mom made sure we ate vegetables on a daily basis, especially spinach. My mom made such a delicious stir fry of spinach which is called cheera thoran in Kerala. Both me and my sister loved eating it. It was one of the staples in our house. Now, so many years later I cook the same for my family (with a slighty different recipe) and we all love eating it. The best part about it is that it is quite easy to make and less time consuming. Lets get started.

You will need:

Spinach, chopped, 300gms (roughly 2 cups)
Grated coconut, 60gms(1 cup)
Garlic, 2 big pods
Cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp
Dry red chilli, 1 (can add more based on requirement)
Turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil, 1 Tbsp

Optional ingredients

Curry leaves
Mustard

Steps:

Wash and clean spinach well. Chop it into small pieces.
Gather rest of the ingredients.
Mix the grated coconut and spinach.
Place a pan on medium heat. Once hot, pour oil and add cumin seeds. Mustard seeds can also be added at this stage.
Add garlic and dry red chilli. Sauté well. Curry leaves can also be added.
Now add the coconut spinach mix to the pan. Sauté for two minutes.
Add turmeric powder and salt. Sauté well.
Close the lid and let it cook for five to ten minutes ( the time depends on the type of spinach, some take more time).
To avoid the spinach stir fry from getting soggy, remove the lid immediately once the desired consistency is achieved.