Skip to main content

Cheerathandu Mooru Curry



Cheerathandu Mooru Curry

Today's recipe is very simple mooru curry/charu curry that is common accompaniment for rice in every Malayali household. This curry is spiced buttermilk with cheera thandu/red amaranth stem/Chinese spinach stems. Cheera ila or spinach leaves is usually made as thoran/stir fried with coconut. The stems are never thrown away and the have a wonderful flavor when used in sambar, aviyal or mooru curry.


Ingredients
Spinach stem/Cheera Thandu-2 hand full
Yogurt- 1 1/2 cup
Coconut- 1/3 cup
Ginger- 1/2 inch peice
Green chilly- 4-5
Garlic-2 pods
Cumin- 1/2 tsp

For seasoning
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds( uluva)- 1/3 tsp
Pearl onion chopped-1
Dry read chilly- 2
Curry leaves- 1 spring


Remove all the leaves from the stem and slightly peel out the skin and the thicker parts of the stem and make it even.Cut this into 2 inch long pieces. If the stem is too thick cut it down through the center and make it into two pieces. In a heavy bottom pan add this along with salt and sprinkle a little water( not more that one 1/4 cup). Cover and cook till the stem is soft and tender.
Make a fine paste of coconut, cumin,shallots, ginger,green chilly and garlic. Whisk yogurt and blend this with the coconut mixture.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. When they splutter add sliced shallots, dry red chilly and curry leaves. Saute till they get roasted and change color and add the cooked spinach stems and saute for one minute. Switch off the flame and after a few seconds pour in the yogurt coconut mixture. Keep mixing and slowly simmer in low flames till the curry gets warmed up and the raw flavor disappears. Do not allow it to boil. Close with a tight lid till it is ready to be served.

Note: You can follow the same recipe to make regular mooru curry or Kerala spiced buttermilk curry. You can make it without adding any vegetables or can substitute cheer thandu/ or spinach stems with cucumber or ash gourd.

Sending this to Kaveri's event Kerala Kitchen

Try this,
Hope you will all enjoy.

Labels

Labels:

Comments

  1. JulieJanuary 17, 2012 at 12:17 PM

    Innovative idea of adding spinach stems,delicious combo with rice!!

    Erivum Puliyum

    ReplyDelete
  2. Christy GeraldJanuary 17, 2012 at 12:33 PM

    Luvly Mor Curry.Simply colourful and luks temptingly delish.Yummy!.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sobha ShyamJanuary 17, 2012 at 12:47 PM

    i like adding cheerathandu in curries, adding to moru curry is new to me..looks delicious..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Suja ManojJanuary 18, 2012 at 5:46 AM

      Me too,njan cheera thandu kalayare illa..It is really delicious in Mooru curry

      Delete
  4. AlpanaJanuary 17, 2012 at 12:48 PM

    DElicious.......looks so tempting with beautiful colourful clicks.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Vikis KitchenJanuary 17, 2012 at 5:28 PM

    Spinach stem is one delicious ingredient for mor curry and sambar. My favorite too. Looks delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  6. @lekshmiJanuary 17, 2012 at 7:12 PM

    kollallo....looks yummy...

    ReplyDelete
  7. MélangeJanuary 17, 2012 at 7:18 PM

    Wow..Suja,extremely nostalgic there.Love to have with rice..and pappadam.Yum!

    ReplyDelete
  8. MélangeJanuary 17, 2012 at 7:18 PM

    Wow..Suja,extremely nostalgic there.Love to have with rice..and pappadam.Yum!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Suja ManojJanuary 18, 2012 at 5:43 AM

      Thanks Dhuythi,there are lots of fond memories associated with this,glad you like it:)

      Delete
  9. Reshmi MaheshJanuary 17, 2012 at 9:02 PM

    Hey great use of cheerathandu to make moru curry...Never tried it but it looks very yummy...

    ReplyDelete
  10. UrmiJanuary 17, 2012 at 11:54 PM

    Lovely dish. Looks yummy and tempting.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Kaveri VenkateshJanuary 18, 2012 at 12:20 AM

    Mmmm...yummy moru curry...

    Please do link it to the Kerala Kitchen Event
    http://palakkadcooking.blogspot.com/2012/01/announcing-kerala-kitchen.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Suja ManojJanuary 18, 2012 at 5:42 AM

      Thanks Kaveri for this wonderful opportunity,have mailed you my entry

      Delete
  12. Ganga SreekanthJanuary 18, 2012 at 1:17 AM

    ente fav moru curry......adipoli aayittundu

    ReplyDelete
  13. Priya SureshJanuary 18, 2012 at 2:25 AM

    Yumm, wat a flavourful moru curry,simply inviting.

    ReplyDelete
  14. ShoutforfoodJanuary 18, 2012 at 3:18 AM

    OOh I would like to try this yum yum

    ReplyDelete
  15. Jayanthy KumaranJanuary 18, 2012 at 3:40 AM

    I m adding another woow...lipsmacking presentation
    Tasty Appetite

    ReplyDelete
  16. Prathima RaoJanuary 18, 2012 at 3:48 AM

    Healthy, authentic curry ;)
    Prathima Rao
    Prats Corner

    ReplyDelete
  17. Suja ManojJanuary 18, 2012 at 5:47 AM

    Thank you all for stopping by and for the encouraging comments..

    ReplyDelete
  18. RamyaJanuary 18, 2012 at 6:02 AM

    i havent tasted this...but love all moru based curries..

    ReplyDelete
  19. AarthiJanuary 18, 2012 at 7:22 AM

    I love this..YUMMY RECIPE..

    Aarthi
    http://yummytummy-aarthi.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  20. ShriJanuary 18, 2012 at 8:13 AM

    We have not tasted this but sounds delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Sushma MallyaJanuary 18, 2012 at 1:25 PM

    Lovely recipe suja...this looks so yumm:)

    ReplyDelete
  22. UnknownJanuary 18, 2012 at 3:17 PM

    That looks slurpy delicious, Suja :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. divyaJanuary 18, 2012 at 6:31 PM

    Wow wat a delightful and super tempting curry...

    ReplyDelete
  24. SuhainaJanuary 18, 2012 at 10:55 PM

    I always love to have moru curry with rice..this version is new to me...looks yummy and tempting... will try out soon.

    ReplyDelete
  25. the Junkie bookJanuary 19, 2012 at 2:38 AM

    gosh i've stopped adding your recipes to my recipe organizer. i realise it's easier to pull it out directly from your blog ;p each dish vies with the other. am sure you can simply have this with brown rice and a mezhukkuperrati!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Suja ManojJanuary 19, 2012 at 9:20 AM

      Nice to see you after a long..how is everything?
      Thanks dear,glad you like it..do try this some time
      Yaa it is perfect for a simple meal,brown rice,mezhukkuperrati and one spicy fish fry for me;)

      Delete
  26. Pari VasishtJanuary 19, 2012 at 4:23 AM

    Hi Suja. I love curd based curries and this looks like quick one to try.


    FOODELICIOUS

    JANUARY EVENT, ‘ONLY’- SPROUTS & GIVEAWAY

    ReplyDelete
  27. PremaJanuary 19, 2012 at 5:30 AM

    Delicious curry,luks yummy...

    ReplyDelete
  28. PrathibhaSreejithJanuary 19, 2012 at 7:25 AM

    Perfect moru curry to have with boiled rice. I see the watermark now Suja ;)

    ReplyDelete
  29. Suja ManojJanuary 19, 2012 at 8:48 AM

    Hehehe..thanks Prathibha:)

    ReplyDelete
  30. TeenaJanuary 19, 2012 at 12:04 PM

    Ahh..delicious looking curry..will definitely try this out! Hoping to see your recipes for my ''Valentine's Day Event'' :)

    ReplyDelete
  31. UmaJanuary 19, 2012 at 1:59 PM

    looks so delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  32. RaksJanuary 19, 2012 at 4:47 PM

    Sounds really good, havent tried this way so far,yummy

    ReplyDelete
  33. ShylajaJanuary 19, 2012 at 7:36 PM

    Delicious and yummy

    ReplyDelete
  34. Rookie QookieJanuary 19, 2012 at 11:28 PM

    My mom used to add different vegetables like pumpkin, drumstick and make mooru curry :)

    ReplyDelete
  35. Binys RecipesJanuary 20, 2012 at 2:31 AM

    i have made it and absolutely loved it...gr8 recipe

    ReplyDelete
  36. HemaJanuary 20, 2012 at 4:27 PM

    The curry looks very yummy, next time will use up spinach stems this way..

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Kerala Black Halwa/ Karutha Halwa/ Rice Flour Halwa

Kerala Black Halwa/ Karutha Halwa/ Rice Flour Halwa December has finally arrived and it means it is almost Christmas time! How many of you look forward to the Season of Joy! My birthday also comes in December, so it is a double celebration for me :) How is the Christmas planning coming along for everyone? It is exactly three weeks for Christmas and I am planning to share a few recipes for the holidays this year. This is the first one I wanted to share with all of you -Kerala style sweet delicacy- a real nostalgia, the Black Halwa. Halwas has always amazed me with its simplicity, unique texture and taste. It is a gel-like sweet candy that you can never stop eating. When making halwa there is a time-honored cooking technique and halwa making is time-consuming. So people simply prefer to buy it from the shop. But making your own is a rewarding experience. Now many of the traditional sweets are forgotten or get overlooked for fancier ones in bakeries. But that is not the case w...
7 comments
Read more

12 Best Traditional Kerala Snacks - Tea Time Snacks

 12 Best Traditional Kerala Snacks - Tea Time Snacks  Are you looking for some light bites to indulge during tea time? Well, you have come to the right place. Kerala cuisine has an exhaustive list of traditional tea-time snacks.  The list of ingredients is available in your pantry, making it possible to make these delicious snacks. Many of these snacks, can be quickly whipped up with rice flour, coconut, and jaggery. I am sharing a list of snack recommendations from Kerala that are easy to cook at home. These sweet and savory snacks are heartwarming and will make you nostalgic. It is by no means is a complete list. I am sharing some of the top picks of this blog in one space for easy reference. If you like to try, more recipes check my earlier post on 10 Quick and Easy Kerala Snacks/ Tea time snacks that you can make in under 20 minutes . Do you have any favorite snack that is simple and easy to make? I would love to hear about your favorite traditional snacks. Please s...
6 comments
Read more

Murgh Chukandar/Beetroot Chicken

Murgh Chukandar/Beetroot Chicken Murgh Chukandar is a tasty chicken curry with wonderful natural bright red color. This color is from beetroot as the name suggests- chukandar means beets in Hindi and Urdu. You can also make with gosht/mutton. I am not sure about the origin of this recipe but it is popular in Northern India and Punjab and it is made during cold winter months. I love recipes with beetroot,but never thought of adding to meat. Beetroot has an earthiness and sweetness to it which complements with the flavor of earthy spices and kick from the chilies.The bonus is its beautiful vibrant color. This chicken curry has the right balance of sweet,sour,heat and flavor and was beyond what I expected. This humble chicken curry when paired with rice and naan gives you the satisfaction of homey comfort food. Beetroot is a super food and is a great source of iron and folate. It is said to purify blood and reduce blood pressure. It also contains nitrates,magnesium and oth...
3 comments
Read more