Cheera Parippu Thoran / Spinach and Lentils

Cheera Parippu Thoran / Spinach and Lentils Thoran

Cheera Parippu/ Spinach and Lentils thoran is a nutritious vegetable side dish for rice. It is packed with an assortment of health benefits and makes your lunch or dinner extremely healthy. It is important to have leafy vegetables in your diet and Cheera Parippu thoran is a double benefit diet. Cheera/ Spinach, green or red, is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, iron and anti-oxidants. You can prepare this Cheera Thoran with red or green cheera. Parippu and cheera is a great combination like Padavalanga and Parippu. Combination thoran is always good as it gives you added health benefits. You may also like Cabbage Cherupayar Thoran, Vazhakoombu Cherupayar Thoran, Cabbage Irachi Thoran, Padavalanga Carrot thoran, Unakka Chemmeen Manga thoran, Beans and carrot thoran, Peechinga Thoran etc. Also check my other special thorans like Vanpayar Thoran, Kovakka Thoran, Mushroom thoran, Beetroot Carrot thoran, Sprouts thoran etc. which are tasty and nutritious too.

Like most kids even I hated Cheera/ Spinach during my childhood and always tried to avoid cheera thoran. With dal, it tasted wonderful and different and soon found a place in my meals. For my kids I always make it this way as they show the same dislike i had for cheera. With dal they like it and it is a better way to make them eat nutritious lunch! It is quite easy to prepare. I have stir fried the cheera, as it should not be overcooked so as not to lose its nutrients. Unlike the usual recipe which requires coarse grinding of coconut, I have used freshly scraped coconut as it is.

So let’s try this easy stir fry cheera parippu thoran and make your meal super healthy.  It goes well with rice as well as rotis. Stay Healthy!!

Serves : 4

Time : 15 mts

Ingredients :

Cheera Parippu Thoran Ingredients

Method:

Wash and soak the cheera/ spinach in water with little salt for some time and rinse and drain. Wash toor dal and cook in a pan with just enough water and cover and cook on slow fire. Chop the spinach finely and keep aside. Chop the onions finely into squares, cut the chillies round. Heat another pan, pour oil (preferably coconut for authentic naadan taste), and pop mustards, then add the chopped onion, green chillies and curry leaves. Once they are limp, add turmeric powder and then the scraped coconut. Fry the coconut for a few minutes till they are slightly dry.

Add salt, mix well and then add the chopped cheera/ Spinach. Stir fry on high flame for one full minute or more till you can see the leaves curl up. Add the cooked parippu/ dal and mix well.

Your Cheera and Parippu thoran is ready. Easy right?? All the nutrients are fully packed as you have not cooked the spinach too much. Enjoy it hot with rice. 🙂

Tips:

• Wash the spinach and soak in water for at least half an hour with little salt to get rid of harmful pesticide effects. Wash again, drain and use.
• Coconut need not be grinded. Finely scraped coconut is enough.
• No water is required.
• Parippu/ Dal should be cooked with just enough water to make it dry.
• You can make this with red or green Spinach/ Cheera.

Health Benefits:

• Green Spinach is a good source of zinc, fiber, iron, proteins, vitamins and minerals.
• Red Spinach is considered good for anemic patients because of the high iron content.
• Spinach is good for healthy skin and hair because of the high levels of minerals and vitamins.
• Toor dal/ Parippu is loaded with nutrients, proteins and carbohydrates for healthy and energetic body.
• Together, Spinach and Dal can be categorized as super food because of their nutritional value.

Enjoy this healthy Cheera Parippu Thoran and do let me know if you like it. God Bless!