Healthy Spinach dish(Cheera Thoran) and why I had it then.!!

Healthy food thoughts and ideas are in the air..My friends who know me well and ofcourse my mom n dad,probably will laugh their hearts out seeing me post these kind of veggie recipes,which I never bothered to even look at,back at my home.I was always a pucca Non-veggie.I was in the routine of having fish n egg daily and meat once in a week.If I had to have a full veg meal ,then that day must be either Onam or Vishu or Pooja days.ha..:D

After that Bitter gourd recipe,am in with a Spinach recipe.I can endlessly muse about this veggie.Loads of memories assosciated with it.Long back,I was a kid,who never liked to eat.Are you laughing?:D..But thats the truth.I never liked to have food ,and was even troubled by the thought that, It's gonna be breakfast/lunch/dinner time soon.. :D:D..I used to wonder why people give such unnecessary importance to food,and when my dad tell me people live and work hard to have food,I used to think "sheer stupidity..people should eat to live ,not live to eat"..:p..When my mom forced me to eat something,I would take an hour and even then apparently I would end up wasting.Mom was seriously concerned about my health and used to force me to eat,which always lead to a disastrous war between me n her,followed by occassional beatings and running around table..:D.Only thing I would consider of eating,was chicken,at that time. So that was the scenario.Now just think,that kid ,me started food blogging...ha ha..:D..jokes apart,I seriously feel bad for being so peevish and wasting food,when so many kids are starving around the globe..
So coming to Spinach.My mom used to apply many tricks on me,so that I would just gobble up atleast little food( and I used to apply counter-tricks on her..:D).She one day made this red spinach curry and I plainly refused to eat saying.."I dont want this "ila n pullu kalitheetta"(grass n leaves cow food..:D) .Then she told me that,If I eat the dish,I'll get the same red color and will get rosy cheeks and will become pretty.Now that was my weakness even then..:D..n from then on,I started eating this thing with great diffilculty,yet ritually,waiting patiently to become a beauty.Now what happened to that,If I became or not is a different story(:D..:D..:D),but gradually I started liking spinach,especially the red one.Even now at this age,I have it more because of the same reason,rather than the taste..:D..I just cant get it out of mind..ha..!!!
Moral of the story : Kid's mind is a white paper.Things written there remains imprinted for long..:D
So here you go with the recipe friends..:)
(Red spinach is the real tasty and highly nutritious one as compared to the green one which is more of water.Palak is highly nutritious also.Here in US,we get only green spinach.But luckily,I spotted some Red spinach in Indian store last day and instantly grabbed a bunch.I made two dishes out of it,of which one is this.The taste is really nostalgic and brought back lots of memories.:) )

Ingredients
Spinach Cleaned and chopped finely 3 cups
Small Onions sliced 4-5 Nos:
Green Chillies slitted 4 nos:
Fresh grated coconut 1 cup
Mustard seeds 1 Tbsp
Urad dal 1 Tbsp
White rice 1 Tbsp
Dry Red Chillies 2-3 Nos:
Curry leaves A lot

Take a pan,and add the chopped spinach into it and cook it open under low heat.This is to remove the excess water from the leaves.Once the leaves get bit dry,remove it from the pan and keep aside.
Pour oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.
When it starts to splutter add the Urad dal,white rice and dry red chillies followed by the curry leaves.
Saute nicely and after a minute,add sliced small onions and green chillies.Saute well till its soft.
Now add the grated coconut.Fry it lightly,you can even add a teaspoon of chilli powder to it,if u wish to.
When the coconut turns light brown,pop the whole thing to the center.Lower the heat to med-low and pop in all the spinach on top of the coconut mix ,fully covering it.
Close the pan n cook for 5 -8 mins.
Now open the lid and mix everything and saute for a few minutes under high heat.

An excellent,healthy side dish is ready for you to devour..!!:D

I am sending this dish also to Ramki's For the Rest of Us event and Sangeeth's Eat Healthy during Pregnancy event...:)
This also goes to Siri's Avadhi RCI Cuisine event started by Lakshmi

Health Benefits of Spinach:

1. Spinach contains choline and inositol, the substances that help to prevent atherosclerosis or thickening and hardening of arteries.
2. Spinach and alfalfa help stabilize blood sugar among diabetics. Make a drink by getting several handful of spinach, add 3 cups of water. Place over low heat for one hour. Then strain. Take ½ cup twice a day. Spinach and alfalfa may be served as part of the meal.
3. Spinach is loaded with flavonoid that functions as antioxidant and anti-cancer agent.
4. Spinach contains carotenoid that help fights cancer.
5. Spinach is a rich source of Vitamins C and A
6. Spinach is an anti-aging vegetable.
7. Spinach is a good source of Vitamin K, which aids in the formation of the blood substance required for clotting of blood.

Spinach is also helpful in the following cases ; Anemia, Tumors, Constipation, Insomnia, Obesity, Neuritis (inflammation of nerves), Nerve exhaustion, High blood pressure, Bronchitis, Colon cancer, Prostate cancer, Breast cancer, Osteoporosis, Dyspepsia (chronic indigestion), Also helps ailment of the kidneys, bladder and liver.

Nutritive Values : Per 100 gm.

• Vitamin A : 9,420 I.U.
• Vitamin B : Thiamine .11 mg.;
• Riboflavin : .20 mg.;
• Niacin : .6 mg.
• Vitamin C : 59 mg.
• Good source of Vitamin k : amount undetermined.
• Calcium : 81 mg
• Iron : 3.0 mg.
• Phosphorus : 55 mg.
• Potassium : 470 mg.
• Carbohydrates : 3.2 gm.
• Protein : 2.3 gm.
• Calories : 20