Probably the most difficult thing for me to deal with, in Mumbai, is the HEAT. Heat and humidity, ACs and fans, sweat, hands and feet bloated and continuous sticky skin feeling. I am living in Mumbai for almost 4 years, and I am still not used with these conditions.
Since we moved into the new apartment, I’ve restarted cooking on gas stove and kept away the electric induction cooktop.
Some recipes need maintaining high temperatures (specially when you cook meat), and I don’t like to cook with the fan on in the kitchen. So imagine the fun I’m having working in the kitchen. Who needs sauna when all you have to do is spending some time in a hot kitchen. Indian summer days just aren’t made for cooking.
When the temperatures outside are unbearable, I prefer to consume more salads and quick meals that doesn’t require spending too much time in the kitchen. One such quick and healthy meal that I am sharing with you today is Palak Thoran / Cheera Thoran – stir fried spinach with fresh coconut and spices.
Cheera Thoran it’s a popular Kerala dish made of cheera – a variety of spinach, fresh coconut, garlic and Indian spices. It’s a dry vegetable dish that goes well with steamed rice or Indian flat bread.
Palak Thoran / Cheera Thoran recipe – Stir fried spinach with coconut – Step by step preparation
Into a grinder add coconut, garlic, shallots, green chilli, dried red chilli, turmeric and cumin powder. Grind them coarsely and keep aside. While grinding, don’t add water.
Heat oil into a pan. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Once the mustard seeds start to sizzle, add chopped spinach and salt, as per taste. Mix and let it cook for 5-7 minutes, on medium-low flame until spinach gets soft and water starts to evaporate.
Lower the flame and add the coconut mix. Stir and cook for about 3 minutes.
Serve hot with steamed rice or flat bread.
- 500 gm spinach, finely chopped;
- 1/2 - 1 cup fresh grated coconut;
- 3 garlic cloves;
- 4 shallots;
- 1 green chilli;
- 1 red dried chilli;
- few curry leaves;
- pinch of turmeric powder;
- 1 tbsp cumin powder;
- 1 tsp mustard seeds;
- salt as per taste;
- coconut oil.
- Into a grinder add coconut, garlic, shallots, green chilli, dried red chilli, turmeric and cumin powder. Grind them coarsely and keep aside. While grinding, don't add water.
- Heat oil into a pan. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Once the mustard seeds start to sizzle, add chopped spinach and salt as per taste. Mix and let it cook for 5-7 minutes, on medium-low flame until spinach gets soft and water starts to evaporate.
- Lower the flame and add the coconut mix. Stir and cook for about 3 minutes.
- Serve hot with steamed rice or flat bread.
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