Beetroot Rasam

Ingredients

• Beetroot - 1
• Toor Dal - 1/2 cup (Soak for half an hour)
• Garlic - 4-6 cloves
• Tamarind - Lemon sized soaked in water
• Rasam Powder - 1 tsp

For Tempering

• Oil/Ghee - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds -  1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Dry Red Chilly - 1

Method

1. Wash the beetroot and peel the skin. Cut it into cubes.
2. Cook the beetroot, garlic and the toor dal together with enough water till the dal is mashy. You could pressure cook for 2 whistles or cook it in the microwave.
3. Mash the dal and beets together with a masher or with the back of a spoon. You can also pulse it in a blender or mixie.
4. Heat oil or ghee in a kadai. Splutter the mustard seeds, curry leaves, dry red chilly and asafoetida.
5. Add the tamarind juice, mashed beetroot and dal, rasam powder and salt. Add water to bring to your desired consistency.
6. Bring it to a boil and switch off immediately. Garnish with cilantro (coriander leaves). Your beetroot rasam is ready to be Served with rice and papad.

Tips

- You can use home made or store bought rasam powder. If you do not have rasam powder, just add 1/2 tsp of cumin powder, 1/2 tsp of pepper powder and 1/8 tsp of turmeric powder.

Beet Leaves Poriyal

Beet Leaves Poriyal
(Beetroot Illa Thoran, Beetroot Leaves Vepudu)

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Ingredients

Beet Leaves - 1 bunch
Onion - 1/4 (chopped)
Garlic - 1 clove (chopped)
Grated Coconut - 2 tblsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Nutmeg Powder - a pinch
Salt - to taste
Dry red chillies - 2
Oil - 1 tsp
Chopped Beet Leaves

 

Method
1. Wash the leaves and chop the leaves finely.
2. Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds, urad dal and dry red chillies.
3. Add the chopped onions and garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
4. Add the leaves, nutmeg powder and salt and let it cook till the leaves are nicely cooked.Do not add any water.
5. Add fresh grated coconut, toss everything together and switch off. You could also make radish greens poriyal, turnip greens poriyal, collard greens poriyal and other greens poriyal in the same way.

Paruppu Usili

(Lentil Crumbled)

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            This is a simple authentic South Indian side dish that can be served with Rice, any curry and papad. Paruppu stands for lentil (dal) and usili stands for crumbled. Here a vegetable is cooked with crumbled lentil and the result is a delicious dish. The best part about the dish is that even picky eaters start enjoying vegetables. Different vegetables can be incorporated in the recipe like french beans(Beans paruppu usili), cluster beans, cabbage (cabbage paruppu usili), broccoli (broccoli paruppu usili), radish (mullangi paruppu usili), asparagus (asparagus paruppu usili), carrot (carrot paruppu usili), beetroot (beetroot paruppu usili), banana flower (vazhapoo paruppu usili) etc.
 
Ingredients
Chana dal(Kadalai paruppu) -1/4 cup soaked.
Red chillies-4 in nos.
Hing-1/4 spoon
Green Beans-1 1/2 cup chopped (You can also use any other vegetable)
Curry leaves-1 string
Mustard Seeds-1/4 spoon
Oil -2 tspn
Fennel seeds-1/4 spoon (optional)
Salt to taste 

Method
1. Heat the kadai with little oil and temper the mustard seeds and curry leaves. 
2. Add the chopped vegetable with little salt and sauté and let it cook covered on low heat. 
3. Meantime grind the soaked chana dal, chilli and hing together with out water. 
4. In a different pan add the remaining oil and fry this chana paste until it crumbles up. Alternatively, you can also pinch a small portion in the idli stand and steam it for 12-15 minutes. Then crumble it up when it cools down.
5. Add this fried mixture to the partially cooked vegetable and fry them both together for next 5 minutes. 
6. Yummy osili ready.

Tips
- Make sure not to overcook the veggies. 
- You can also use toor dal instaed of channa dal or a combination of both.

French Beans Poriyal

Beetroot Usili

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Beetroot Pachadi

Ingredients
Beetroot - 1 ( Medium sized)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Curd - 1/2 cup (beaten)
Salt - to taste 
Oil - 2 tblsp

To grind
Grated coconut - 3-4 tblsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Green chillies - 2 nos

For Seasoning
Mustard seeds - 1/4
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Shallots - 2
Dry red chilly - 1

Method
1. Wash, peel the beetroot and grate it.
2. Coarsely grind all the ingredients under 'To grind' and keep aside.
3. Take the grated beetroot in a pan, add required salt and cook for 5-10 minutes.
4. Add the coarsely ground paste to the beetroot. Mix it and cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Remove from gas and let it cool.
6. Add the beaten curd and mix.
7. Finally heat oil in a small pan and pop the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add the chopped shallots and red chilli. Fry till the shallots turn golden brown.
8. Pour this seasoning on top of the beetroot. Enjoy with white rice.

Karupatti Kaapi

(Chukku Coffee, Dry Ginger Tea)

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          This is a spicy hot drink traditionally made as a home cure for cold and sore throat. For some people it is more than a remedy, its a part of life. There are people who drink this on a regular basis.
 
Ingredients 
Dry ginger (Chukku) - 1/2" piece (ground or crushed)
Karupatti (Palm Sugar) - as needed for sweetness
Whole Peppercorns - 1 tsp
Coffee powder/Tea leaves -  1 tsp (optional)
Cumin seeds - 3/4 tsp
Basil leaves(Tulsi) - 4-5
Water - 1.5 cup

Method

1. Boil the water in a saucepan with karupatti (palm sugar), dry ginger, crushed peppercorns and cumin seeds. 
2. Add the coffee powder/ tea powder to this, if needed.
3. Let this boil for 4-5 minutes.
4. Finally add the basil leaves (tulsi) and switch off.
5. Serve it piping hot as a remedy for cold and throat infection.
 
Tips
   - If karupatti(palm sugar) does not give enough sweetness add little sugar.
   - Jaggery (Vellam) can be used instead of karupatti (palm sugar).

Herbal Juice

Herbal Juice - with Thulsi and Ajwain leaves

  A variety and tasty herbal juice adding tulsi leaves and ajwain leaves.  This is helpful for all ages especially in summer. It prevents dehydration.

IngredientsAjwain leaves - 5 or 6
Tulsi (Indian Basil Leaves) - 10 leaves (fresh)
Cumin (jeera) powder - 1/4 spoon
Amchur (Dry mango) powder - 1/2 spoon
Salt - to taste
Mint - 4 or 5 leaves

 

Method
1. Wash all the leaves and grind into fine paste.
2. Add jeera powder, amchur powder and salt with the paste.
3. These ingredients are enough to make one glass of juice.

Children like to have this juice with cold water.

Green Chutney

(Mint Chutney, Cilantro Chutney, Kothamalli Chutney, Pudhina Chutney)

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Ingredients
Mint leaves - 2 cups
Cilantro (Corriander Leaves) - 2 cups
Onion - 1/4
Lemon juice - 1 or 2 tblsp
Green Chillies - 10-12
Cumin seeds - 1 tblsp
Salt - to taste 

Method 
1. Combine all the ingredients and grind to a smooth paste in a blender or mixie.
        (Do not use any water for grinding or use very little water. The moisture from the onions, cilantro and the lemon juice should be sufficient for grinding.)
2. Refrigerate or freeze and use as required. 

Variations
     - If you do not like the raw smell of onion in the chutney, just add 1/2 of a green bell pepper (capsicum) instead.    
     - If you want to make a thicker chutney, add a handful of roastes peanuts. But for chaats, make the chutney as such.