Beetroot Potato Curry

It is a nutrient packed vegetable that attracts even the fussy eaters and kids because of its colour and taste.

Beetroot improves stamina and blood flow and lowers blood pressure. It is sweet and earthy in taste and tender to eat. It is beneficial for high blood pressure patients as beetroots helps to lower blood pressure. Such patients can consume the beet root juice apart from other recipes of beetroot.

INGREDIENTS :

(1) 2 medium sized Beetroots, diced into bite sized pieces

(2) 3 small sized potatoes, chopped into bite sized pieces

(3) 2 large sized Onions, finely chopped

(4) 2 medium sized Tomatoes, finely chopped

(5) 5 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped

(6) Half inch of Ginger piece, finely chopped

(7) Coriander leaves, finely chopped (for garnish)

(8) Curry leaves

(9) 5 - 8 Whole Red Chillies, (depending on the spicy taste required

Use less if don’t like too spicy. The beetroots cause the sabzi to be sweet

so to cut that taste, we put little more red chillies)

(10) 3 tablespoon of Vegetable oil

(11) 1 teaspoon of Saunf / Fennel seeds

(12) 3/4 teaspoon of Jeera / Cumin seeds

(13) 1/2 teaspoon of Rai / Mustard seeds

(14) 1/2 teaspoon of Garam masala powder

(15) 1 teaspoon of Coriander / Dhania powder 

(16) 1/2 teaspoon of Cumin / Jeera powder

(17) 1/4 teaspoon of Haldi / Turmeric powder

(18) 2 pinch of Hing / Asafoetida

(19) Salt to taste
(20) Water for cooking

Cuisine : Indian
Serves : 5-6 persons

PREPARATION :

(1) Peel the skin of the Potatoes, wash them, then cut them into bite sized pieces. Put the chopped potatoes into a utensil, add 2 glasses of water, little amount of salt and keep on the gas stove for cooking.

The Potatoes should be cooked, but they should not lose their shape, that is should not get soggy. Once cooked, turn off the gas stove. Drain the water and take the cooked potatoes into a bowl and keep aside as shown in the image.

(2) Peel the Beetroots and wash them. Then cut them into small bite sized pieces. Put the diced beetroot into a utensil, put 2 glasses of water, a little amount of salt and keep on the gas stove for cooking. Once the beetroots are cooked, turn off the gas stove. Press one piece of beetroot and if it breaks and is soft (but at the same time should not lose shape), then it means the beetroot is cooked. Take the beetroot along with the water used for cooking into a bowl and keep aside. 

(3) Peel the Onions and chop them finely using an Onion chopper. Keep the finely chopped Onions into a bowl and keep aside.

(4) Wash and finely chop two medium sized Tomatoes.

Chopped Tomatoes

(5) Finely chop or grate 5 cloves of Garlic and half inch of Ginger and keep aside. 

5 cloves of garlic finely chopped

Half inch sized ginger finely chopped

(6) Chop Coriander leaves for garnish and keep aside.

Coriander leaves finely chopped

Curry leaves

(7) All ingredients set together in a tray for the preparation of Beetroot Potato Curry.

From left to right, top to bottom rows, the ingredients are : 
Fennel seeds / Saunf, Cumin seeds / Jeera, Mustard seeds / Rai,
Garam masala powder, Coriander / Dhania powder, Cumin / Jeera powder, 
Turmeric powder / Haldi, Salt and Asafoetida / Hing powder.

METHOD :

(1) Heat 3 tablespoon of oil in a Kadhai / Wok. 

Add Mustard seeds / Rai to the warm oil and when they start spluttering, add Jeera / Cumin seeds. After 10 seconds of sautéing, 

add finely chopped garlic and ginger. Saute them till the garlic turns golden brown in colour and the raw smell of the ginger goes away. Add 5-8 whole red chillies and sauté them for 10 seconds. 

(2) Add finely chopped Onions and sauté till they turn light golden in colour. 

(3) Add finely chopped Tomatoes and sauté till they become soft.

Note : While preparing this recipe my little baby was playing in the kitchen around me and trying to come near the gas stove, so I got little distracted and did not put the Fennel seeds and Curry leaves in step 1, which I realized at step 3 of method.  For my readers, please add the Fennel seeds and Curry leaves along with Cumin seeds / Jeera and sauté for 10 seconds as said earlier.

I took a tempering ladle and added 2 table spoon of oil in it, heated it on a gas stove. Then added Fennel seeds and Curry leaves (chopped and added while tempering). Saute for 10 - 15 seconds till the Fennel seeds change colour. Make sure the Curry leaves don’t get burnt. You will have to turn off the gas stove and add this to the Onion Tomato mixture. Then Mix well as shown in the images.

(4) Add all the basic dry Indian spices like Turmeric / Haldi powder, Garam masala powder, Cumin / Jeera powder and Coriander / Dhania powder. Mix well.

After mixing....

(5) Add the boiled beetroot with water used for boiling it, all together to the Onion Tomato mixture. Add the boiled Potatoes too.

Mix well.

After mixing ....

(6) Add one glass of water and mix well. Add salt if required. As I added salt during boiling beetroot and potatoes, it was tasting fine and I did not feel the need to add any more salt.

(7) Allow it to simmer for 5 minutes. By this time, the curry would have reached the required consistency. You may now switch off the gas stove.

The Beetroot Potato Curry is ready.

(8) Transfer the Beetroot Potato Curry into a serving bowl. 

(9) Garnish it with chopped Coriander leaves. 

(10) Serve the Beetroot Potato Curry with chapatis or with Rice Dal as side dish.

Mooli Patte ki Bhujia / Radish Leaves Stir-fry

A nutritious North Indian dish made from Radish and its leaves.

I as a beginner in my art of cooking recently came to know that radish leaves can also be used for preparing this tasty recipe. 

Earlier I use to throw away the leaves. Then one friend told me how these leaves can be used. I prepared this recipe for the first time and I found it so tasty. 

RADISH LEAVES STIR FRY / MOOLI PATTE KI BHUJIA

RADISH / MOOLI with leaves

Radish is a root vegetable that is rich in nutrients and low in calories. More than radish is nutritious its leaves. Radish leaves are rich in Iron, Calcium, Vitamin C, folic acid, blood pressure lowering Potassium and antioxidants. It aids in digestion and helps to flush toxins from the body. They increase immunity and help to combat fatigue. Radish leaf juice helps in dissolving kidney stones and clearing the urinary bladder. Also, they help in treating jaundice and blood sugar and many other diseases.

Here is the detailed list of ingredients and method.

INGREDIENTS :

(1) Radish (Mooli) chopped - 2 cups

(2) Radish leaves chopped - 5 cups

(3) 3 whole green chillies

(4) 2 whole red chillies

(5) Garlic cloves, 8 -10 cloves chopped

(6) Asafoetida / Hing powder - 1/4 teaspoon

(7) Coriander / Dhania powder - 1 teaspoon

(8) Cumin / Jeera powder  - 3/4 teaspoon

(9) Garam masala powder - Half teaspoon

(10) Turmeric / Haldi powder - Half teaspoon

(11) Mustard oil - 4 tablespoon

(12) Salt to taste

(13) Water for boiling vegetables

Cuisine - North Indian

Serves - 3-4 persons

Time required - 15 mins for preparation and 15 mins for cooking

METHOD :

(1) Wash the radish and the leaves. Use only the leaves that are fresh and green in colour and discard the ones that are yellow.

(2) Chop 2 whole radishes into bite size pieces as shown in the image and also chop the leaves. We will use the leaves of more radishes but not use the radish. I used leaves of four radishes but used only two radish for chopping.

CHOPPED RADISH / MOOLI WITH LEAVES

CHOPPED RADISH / MOOLI WITH LEAVES

After chopping the radish and its leaves, wash them in a strainer.

WASHED VEGETABLES

WASHED RADISH PIECES WITH LEAVES

(3) Put them in a utensil and add little amount of salt and 1 glass of water. Boil the vegetables till they are little less than fully cooked.

Check with finger tips to see if the radish / mooli is boiled.

(4) Drain the water and keep the vegetables in a large bowl. Squeeze out water from the boiled vegetables once they cool down. ( The drained and squeezed out water from the boiled veggies can also be collected and used while preparing chapati dough)

Drain the water and keep the vegetables in a large bowl.

(5) Chop 3 whole green chillies and 2 whole red chillies. Also chop 7-9 cloves of garlic.

Boiled veggies, garlic chopped, green and red chillies chopped.

Water squeezed out from the boiled vegetables 

(6) Heat oil in a kadhai / wok and add finely chopped garlic. When the garlic becomes slightly golden brown, add chopped red and green chillies. Add Asafoetida / Hing powder.

Saute for few seconds.

Heat oil in a kadhai / wok

Add chopped garlic to the warm oil

Add chopped red chillies 

Add chopped green chillies and Asafoetida / Hing

(7) Add the chopped and boiled vegetables. Mix well. Add Coriander and Cumin powders, Turmeric powder and Garam masala powder in measures as given in the ingredients list.

Add boiled Radish / Mooli with leaves

Add basic Indian dry spices

Mix well.

(8) Add salt to taste, do remember that we had boiled the veggies in salted water. If that was sufficient, then do not add salt this time.

Add salt if required (Salt was also added during boiling radish and its leaves)

Mix well and cook on a medium flame for 5 minutes till the vegetable gets cooked fully.

(9) Our Mooli patte ka bhujia / Radish leaves stir fry is ready.

Radish leaves Stir fry / Mooli Patte ki Bhujia ready

(10) Transfer the sabzi onto a serving bowl. 

Radish Stir Fry / Mooli Patte ki Bhujia

(11) Serve the leafy vegetable dish with chapatis / phulkas. It can also be used as a side dish with any rice curry combo or with dal rice.