Cheera pulisseri/ red amaranth yoghurt curry is similar to any other pulisseri made in the Kerala cuisine. You can substitute amaranth leaves with beetroot leaves also in this recipe. Thankfully, my family loves this cheera pulisseri. I have different recipes for red amaranth in this blog, but I like this easy and very simple recipe a tad more than the rest. A totally delicious preparation, trust me. Feel free to substitute red spinach for green, if you desire.
Red Amaranth leaves, known as Chuvanna Cheera in Malayalam, is a popular leafy vegetable of South India as well as some parts of North India. Cooked amaranth greens is a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C and some dietary minerals like calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, copper, and manganese.
Now, for the preparation….
Ingredients
- 200 gms Red spinach / cheera, finely chopped
- ½ tsp. Turmeric powder
- ½ tsp. Chilli powder
- ½ cup Water
- Salt, to taste
- 1 cup Yoghurt, beaten
To grind
- 1 cup Coconut, grated
- ½ tsp. Cumin seeds
- 2-3 Green chillies
- 2 Shallots
To season
- 2-3 tsps. Coconut Oil
- ½ tsp. Mustard seeds
- 2 nos. Dried red chillies
- 2-3 Shallots, chopped
- A sprig of Curry leaves
Method
- Grind the grated coconut along with cumin seeds, shallots and green chillies to a very fine paste. Keep this aside.
- Take a deep bottomed pan. Combine the finely chopped spinach leaves along with turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and water. Cook for 4 – 6 minutes at medium heat, until wilted. Add the ground coconut mixture. Cook for a few minutes at medium-low heat. Bring down the heat to low.
- Next, add beaten yoghurt gradually and stir well. Taste and check for salt. Cook the mix for a minute and switch off. Ensure you do not overheat the mix after adding the yoghurt or it will curdle.
- Heat 2 – 3 teaspoons of coconut oil in a small pan. Splutter mustard seeds and fry dry red chillies, shallots and curry leaves. Pour over the prepared curry. Mix well and serve with rice and other side-dishes.