Cuisine: Kerala
Category: Lunch
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 30 min
Serves: 4
Difficulty: Medium
🌿 Vegetarian
Classic Kerala dish — cheera thoran with red amaranth stir-fry.
Ingredients
- - 400g red amaranth stir-fry
- - 2 tbsp coconut oil
- - 1 fresh coconut (milk extracted)
- - 2 shallots
- - 2 green chillies
- - 1 sprig curry leaves
- - 1/4 tsp turmeric
- - Salt to taste
Method
- Prepare spinach: Wash 2 large bunches of cheera (spinach or amaranth). Remove tough stems and roughly chop.
- Make coconut mixture: Mix half cup freshly grated coconut with half tsp turmeric, 1 tsp cumin, 2 green chillies and 3 shallots sliced.
- Heat coconut oil: Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil in a wide pan.
- Splutter mustard seeds: Add 1 tsp mustard seeds and cover until all pop.
- Add aromatics: Add 2 dried red chillies and 2 sprigs curry leaves. Fry 20 seconds.
- Add spinach: Add the chopped spinach. Season with salt.
- Wilt: Toss on medium heat 2-3 minutes until spinach wilts completely.
- Add coconut mixture: Add coconut mixture to the wilted spinach.
- Cook together: Toss on medium heat 3-4 minutes until coconut mixes through and moisture evaporates.
- Serve: Adjust salt. Cheera thoran should be bright green and dry. Serve with steamed rice as a nutritious side dish.