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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.

Comments

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

    Erivum Puliyum

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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    Replies
    1. Reshmi, its is really delicious..do try this:)

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  9. Lovely dish. Looks yummy and tempting.

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  10. Mmmm...yummy moru curry...

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

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

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

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  12. Yumm, wat a flavourful moru curry,simply inviting.

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  13. OOh I would like to try this yum yum

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

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  15. Healthy, authentic curry ;)
    Prathima Rao
    Prats Corner

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

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

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  18. I love this..YUMMY RECIPE..

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

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  19. We have not tasted this but sounds delicious!

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

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  21. That looks slurpy delicious, Suja :)

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  22. Wow wat a delightful and super tempting curry...

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

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  24. 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!!

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    Replies
    1. 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
  25. Perfect moru curry to have with boiled rice. I see the watermark now Suja ;)

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

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

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

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

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

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