I don't intend to start a cooking blog, but once in a while, I might post few recipes that are close to my heart, and today, I would like to share one such recipe, which is Beetroot Rice.
Beetroot is a vegetable that not many like, especially North Indians, who don't even buy it. Beetroot has lot of health benefits including increasing your hemoglobin, reducing blood pressure, improving neurological function (brain power), lowers cholesterol, rich anti-oxidant, helps hemorrhoids, etc., etc. It can be consumed raw as a salad or juice or cooked in various dishes.
This is an excellent meal for fussy kids, ideal for lunch box too. Due to it's brilliant colour, kids are sure to love it. I am an experimental cook and love to experiment all the time. The recipe and ingredients are to my liking and can be altered the way you wish. This has been a hit among my friends and family.
Things you will need:
2 cups cooked rice (you can use leftover rice too)
1 medium beetroot, peeled and grated
4-5 cloves of garlic crushed or minced (optional, I am a garlic lover; you can increase, decrease, or omit it according to your preference)
2-3 shallots sliced or 1 small onion sliced or finely chopped
1-2 green chilies
1 sprig curry leaves
1 teaspoon urad dal or black gram
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds or rai
1/2 teaspoon jeera/cumin seeds
1/8th teaspoon turmeric powder/haldi
2 tbsp grated coconut for garnishing (optional)
1 tbsp oil
salt to taste
Method:
1. Heat a kadai or pan and add oil.
2. When oil is hot, add rai and let it splutter.
3. Add urad dal and stir till it turns golden.
4. Add jeera and when it splutters, add garlic.
5. When garlic starts to change color, add curry leaves and green chillies and give a quick stir.
6. Add onions and let it turn slightly pink. You can add little salt at this moment to fasten the process. Add a pinch of haldi or turmeric powder.
7. Add grated beetroot and mix well.
8. When beetroot is 3/4th done, adjust salt to taste.
9. Mix the rice and simmer it for 5 mins to let it absorb all the flavour and colour.
10. Garnish with grated coconut and switch off the flame.
Delicious beetroot is ready to tantalize your taste buds.
It is a complete meal by itself, but you can serve it with raita, papad, and achar/pickle.
Notes:
1. Beetroot can be cooked to individual preference. It can be half cooked, three-fourth cooked, or fully cooked before you add rice. There would be slight alteration in taste and crunchiness.
2. If you are having it immediately, you can dribble a spoonful of ghee (clarified butter) or can replace the oil with ghee.
3. You can replace beetroot with carrot or finely chopped spinach or spring onions too. The colours are bound to attract kids. If using spinach, use 4-5 leaves. Use 2-3 spring onions. Do not forget the garlic because it adds a wonderful flavour.
I do not have a picture right now, but would soon update as soon as I manage to click one.
Beetroot is a vegetable that not many like, especially North Indians, who don't even buy it. Beetroot has lot of health benefits including increasing your hemoglobin, reducing blood pressure, improving neurological function (brain power), lowers cholesterol, rich anti-oxidant, helps hemorrhoids, etc., etc. It can be consumed raw as a salad or juice or cooked in various dishes.
This is an excellent meal for fussy kids, ideal for lunch box too. Due to it's brilliant colour, kids are sure to love it. I am an experimental cook and love to experiment all the time. The recipe and ingredients are to my liking and can be altered the way you wish. This has been a hit among my friends and family.
Things you will need:
2 cups cooked rice (you can use leftover rice too)
1 medium beetroot, peeled and grated
4-5 cloves of garlic crushed or minced (optional, I am a garlic lover; you can increase, decrease, or omit it according to your preference)
2-3 shallots sliced or 1 small onion sliced or finely chopped
1-2 green chilies
1 sprig curry leaves
1 teaspoon urad dal or black gram
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds or rai
1/2 teaspoon jeera/cumin seeds
1/8th teaspoon turmeric powder/haldi
2 tbsp grated coconut for garnishing (optional)
1 tbsp oil
salt to taste
Method:
1. Heat a kadai or pan and add oil.
2. When oil is hot, add rai and let it splutter.
3. Add urad dal and stir till it turns golden.
4. Add jeera and when it splutters, add garlic.
5. When garlic starts to change color, add curry leaves and green chillies and give a quick stir.
6. Add onions and let it turn slightly pink. You can add little salt at this moment to fasten the process. Add a pinch of haldi or turmeric powder.
7. Add grated beetroot and mix well.
8. When beetroot is 3/4th done, adjust salt to taste.
9. Mix the rice and simmer it for 5 mins to let it absorb all the flavour and colour.
10. Garnish with grated coconut and switch off the flame.
Delicious beetroot is ready to tantalize your taste buds.
It is a complete meal by itself, but you can serve it with raita, papad, and achar/pickle.
Notes:
1. Beetroot can be cooked to individual preference. It can be half cooked, three-fourth cooked, or fully cooked before you add rice. There would be slight alteration in taste and crunchiness.
2. If you are having it immediately, you can dribble a spoonful of ghee (clarified butter) or can replace the oil with ghee.
3. You can replace beetroot with carrot or finely chopped spinach or spring onions too. The colours are bound to attract kids. If using spinach, use 4-5 leaves. Use 2-3 spring onions. Do not forget the garlic because it adds a wonderful flavour.
I do not have a picture right now, but would soon update as soon as I manage to click one.
