Chuvanna Cheera Thoran (Red Amaranth stir fried with coconut / Sevappu Keerai Poriyal)

Chuvanna Cheera or Red Amaranth is considered to be one of the most healthy leafy vegetables. In Kerala, this leaf is consumed extensively and one of the most common dishes made using this leaf is called cheera thoran. 

Ingredients:

Red Cheera leaves - One bunch (around 500 gms)

One medium sized onion, chopped
Coconut - Half, grated
Turmeric - 1/2 tea spoon
Green Chillies - 2, slided long
White rice (raw, uncooked) - 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste

Method:

Chop off the roots of the plants. Clean the leaves thoroughly multiple times in tap water to ensure the mud in the stem, leaves etc are removed. 

Its is good practice to soak the leaves in salt water for an hour prior to chopping. This minimises the effect of chemicals/pesticides attached to the leaves. This practice can be followed for most of the vegetables and fruits that we buy.

Once cleaned thoroughly, chop the leaves into small pieces.

Pour 2 table spoons of coconut oil into a tava (frying pan). Once the oil is hot, put one teaspoon mustard into it. 
Once the mustard seeds splutter, put the raw white rice and a couple of red chillies into it.  Stir till the rice turns light brown and put the chopped leaves into it. Add turmeric powder, sliced green chillies and salt into it. 
Mix these and close the pan for the leaves to cook. It takes approx. 10 min for the leaves to cook. Always cook on low flame. 
Check whether stem has cooked. Once the stem is cooked, the leaves are obviously cooked. 

Then add the chopped onion into the cooked leaves and again close the lid. After a min, add the  grated coconut and mix it thoroughly with the cooked leaves.

Red cheera thoran is ready. This quantity is enough to serve 4 people.


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