Cheerathandu / Spinach Stems Sambar
Posted On 21-Jan-2008 at 4:19 PM by Seena
This is an addition to the peel and stem recipes here! Don't think I have nothing to throwaway once a vegetable is used for cooking..:D But I can surely say, a mallu can survive without veggies if he is lucky to live in his own country.I have seen an aunty of mine who prepared spinach / cheera dishes in seven days of the week. If she didn't get spinach from the near by shops she heads to the surrounding land or the neighbour's house to pluck some cheerayila / spinach leaves..Those leaves are not the same which we get in shops. They are different and pure locals who grow with the grass! One more cheera type we have at home is known as Malaysian cheera, with dark green leaves, that we often use for cooking. I think many of you might have the same in your home courtyards.
And this cheerathandu sambar is my MIL's version and she is the another person who uses lots of leaves or stems for cooking..You can use the green spinach stems also for this..
Cheerathandu sambar ingredients and preparation
Cheerathandu / spinach stems 1 bunch
coriander powder 1 tablespoon
chilly powder 1 tsp or as desired
turmeric 1/2 tsp
masoor dal / red lentils 1/2 cup
puli / tamarind 1 goose berry size
water 2 cups or as required
onion 1
tomato 1
potato 1
garlic cloves 2
cumin 1/4 tsp
fenugreek / uluva 1/4 tsp
kayam / asafoetida / hing 1/4 tsp powder- I used 1 small piece
curry leaves few
mustard seeds
salt
coconut oil
Take the stems of spinach / cheera remained when once you removed leaves. Peel them like we do for removing the skin of drumsticks / muringakkai. Cheerathandu will have very thin skin which should be removed.
Cut them in the desired size but not too small. Wash and keep them aside. If the stems are very thick, cut them length wise into two pieces.
Peel potato and chop into big pieces.Chop onion and tomato too.Crush garlic.
Soak tamarind in water and take about 1 cup tamarind water.(Or take according to the sourness you desire)
Wash and cook dal / parippu with onion, tomato, garlic, potato, all the powders, asafoetida and salt in the tamarind water. When it is half done, add 1 cup water and the chopped spinach stems. (Or add enough water required for cooking.) Cook till done.
Heat oil, let the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds to splutter.
Fry curry leaves, and pour this solution into the curry. Add dry red chillies too for seasoning if you like. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on top.
Potato and spinach / Cheera Urulakkizhangu masala
Posted On 26-Apr-2007 at 7:42 AM by Seena
2 medium size potatoes
1 small tomato
1 medium size onion
Ginger 1/2 inch chopped
Green chilly 1 or 2
Pepper powder or chilly powder 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder 2 teaspoon
Mustard seeds 1 teaspoon
Garam masala ¼ teaspoon
Salt
Coriander leaves chopped 2 table spoon
Coconut oil 1 table spoon
Heat oil.
Keep stirring after adding chopped ginger and green chilies.
Stir till the masala cover the potatoes.
Then add chopped spinach.
Add cumin seeds or black gram dal according to the taste of North or South in the beginning.
Best to have with chapattis.
Submitted to JFI-green leafy vegetables hosted by Indira of Mahanandi
Cheera-Parippu Curry Or Dal-Paalak
Posted On 05-Jan-2007 at 5:09 PM by Seena
Paalak/Cheera(chopped) - 4 cups
Sambar Parippu or Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Small onions(Kunjulli) - 3 - 4 nos
Cumin seeds(Jeerakam) - 2 pinch
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - As reqd
Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Dry red chillies(Kollamulaku) - 1 - 2 nos
Curry leaves - A few
Method
1)Cook dal with turmeric powder, chilly powder, a little water and salt.
2)Add chopped paalak or cheera and cook for 1 - 2 mins.
3)Blend together coconut, cumin seeds and small onions by adding little water until you get a thick solution.
4)Pour this into the paalak and dal mixture.
5)Remove from fire when it starts boiling. :- Do not boil too much.
6)Heat oil in a pan or a kadai.
7)Splutter mustard seeds and saute dry red chillies and curry leaves.
8)Add this seasoning into the curry.
