Spinach thoran is a Kerala coconut stir-fry, usually made with green beans or cabbage, but this version swaps in frozen spinach so it’s ready any night of the week.
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ℹ️ Introduction
Thoran is one of the most common dishes in Kerala cooking. It’s also one of the easiest vegetable side dishes you can make. And it’s naturally vegan and gluten-free!
Spinach thoran (cheera thoran) is especially good because it cooks fast and absorbs all the flavors from the coconut and spices.
I make this recipe often because frozen and fresh spinach are easily available and this dish can be ready in under 30 minutes.
Kerala homes rotate through different types of thorans throughout the week. You’ll find cabbage thoran, beetroot thoran, beans and carrot thoran, and other variations depending on what’s available.
➡ If you’re looking for more authentic Onam sadhya recipes, try Kerala parippu, green beans thoran, cucumber pachadi (kichadi), vegetable stew, potato stew (ishtu), kootu curry, inji curry, sambar, and semiya payasam.
💡 Tips
- Curry leaves add a lot of flavor here – don’t skip them if you can get them.
- Adjust the spice level by leaving out or increasing the dried red chili, the green chili, or both.
- Keep all ingredients ready, as you will need to add them in quickly.
- If your frozen coconut is coarsely ground, pulse it in a food processor for a few seconds before grinding it with the green chili. Don’t over-process it into a paste.
- You have the option to grind ½ teaspoon of whole cumin with the coconut.
🔄 Variations
- Add a teaspoon of raw rice to the oil right after the mustard seeds pop, to give the spinach thoran a nutty crunch. The rice toasts and puffs slightly and it adds a crispy texturecrisp bits scattered through what’s otherwise a soft, spoonable dish.
- Make cheera parippu thoran (spinach moong dal thoran). Dry roast 2 tablespoons of moong dal till fragrant, about 3 minutes. Boil the moong, with just enough water to cover the lentils till the dal is cooked al dente. It should not turn mushy. Add the moong with the coconut to the spinach.
Spinach Thoran (Cheera Thoran)
Ingredients
- 1 green chili slit, to taste
- ½ cup shredded coconut
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 12 curry leaves
- 1 dried red chili
- ½ cup shallots or onions, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic
- 2 bags frozen chopped spinach (10 oz. each) thawed or 30 oz fresh, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
Instructions
- Grind 1 green chili and ½ cup shredded coconut in a food processor. It should be a thick coarse paste and not too smooth. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds. Cover the pan until they pop. Add 12 curry leaves and 1 dried red chili, and saute briefly.
- Add ½ cup shallots and 1 teaspoon garlic and saute till transparent, about 2 minutes.
- Add 2 bags frozen chopped spinach (thawed) or chopped fresh spinach and saute for 5 minutes.
- Add 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon turmeric, and ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder. Saute briefly.
- Add reserved coconut mixture and saute for 3 to 5 more minutes, until the spinach is cooked through.
- Remove from heat.
Notes
Nutrition
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I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
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