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07 October 2013

30 Days, 30 Veggies: Day 1: Beetroot Fry

I was never a big fan of Beetroot. I don't like the taste of Beet, I don't like the feeling of the vegetable in my mouth, I don't like the colour that the vegetables leaves on your hand and on your plate and everywhere else...

At least that is what I thought till I started preparing Beetroot Fry.

You might wonder why I purchases Beetroot when other vegetables were available. If you are asking this question, it means that you have not been following the daily news about the explosive prices of vegetables here in India. The prices change by the day. Since the expectation is that the price will fall over the next few days, the tendency is to buy the cheaper vegetables available on that day, that too in very less quantities.

Beetroot fitted the bill. Hence Beetroot, here I come.

Why Beetroot?


Recipe: This recipe is for people who cannot distinguish between their table spoons, tea spoons, sprigs and what else....This is for common man. Not an expert cook.

Ingredients:

1. Beetroot: 3 medium ones, cut into small cubes. 
2. Oil: Two Table Spoons
3. Mustard: a bit
4. Urad Dal: a little bit (Check out in Google for its English Name)
5. Ginger: Some, may be a piece as big as your thumb, grated (Ginger I mean, not you thumb)
6. A dash of Coriander Power and a pinch of Jeera (Cumin) powder and a bit of Haldi (Turmeric) Powder
7. A few curry leaves (5 or 6)
8. One or two green chillies, sliced
9. Salt to taste
10. Onion: One medium sized, chopped fine
12. Tomato: One medium sized, chopped fine

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a Pressure Pan. 
2. Add the mustard and wait till it splutters, then add dal, Curry leaves and Chilly. 
3. Saute in medium heat for about a minute or two. 
4. Add the onion and stir till it turns golden brown
5. Add tomato, ginger, coriander powder, haldi powder and jeera powder and salt
6. Mix thoroughly
7. Once the oil starts coming out, add the beetroot
8. Cook it in pressure pan in medium flame for about 6-7 minutes or till two to three whistles
9. Cook in low heat for another three minutes
10. Once the steam condenses, open the pan mix thoroughly.

For better results, you can add a bit of lime and top it with coriander leaves for better aroma

My impressions.

First of all, try the above recipe at your own risk. Know your spice limit and add chilly accordingly. One good thing is that green chilly, though spicy, is good for health unlike red chilly. In case you don't like green chilly, you could try black pepper, though the colour may change a bit, the aroma will be better.

They say that Beetroot helps build muscles. So true. Though a tiny vegetable, Beetroot is a monster when it comes to being hard. My muscles ached as I struggled to cut the beetroot with a reasonably sharp knife. 

Even thought the vegetable is hard, once cooked it becomes delectably soft and almost like melts in the mouth. Also the flavor of the above combination is just awesome. 

What would I have done differently? None that I can think of. May be I would have added a bit of brown sugar (Gur) to lower the spice effect.

It was also good for the stomach and bowel movement. Naturally. It contains fibers also.

Now that I have eaten Beetroot, that too prepared by me, I am a big fan now. As soon as my thirty days of testing different veggies is completed, I am going to splurge on Beetroot with gay abandon.

I can't wait.

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