Beetroot is a house favorite! Everybody in my home including my little one loves this vibrant vegetable. In spite of it being healthy, I know that there are many beetroot haters out there. The earthy smell of the vegetable is a put off for many and so are the complaints that it tastes like mud. But from my experience, I’ve learned that properly cooking beetroot with the right ingredients help to eliminate the smell completely, thereby making it tasty and a healthy option to add to your daily menu.

Beetroot has so many health benefits; is high in fiber, packed with vitamins and minerals, and rich in folate and manganese thereby helping to strengthen the bones. It also helps to improve the digestive health, lowering the blood pressure, and has anti-cancer properties.

There are so many different ways you can include beetroot in your diet. One of our favorite recipes is the Kerala Style Beetroot Pachadi which is a beetroot and yogurt combination.  A Mediterranean style Beetroot hummus is another colorful option you can add to your menu or even this Beetroot Power Smoothie with apple and pomegranate.

Now let’s talk about today’s recipe which is a simple stir-fried aka thoran version of beetroot, which makes a great pair with steamed rice. The recipe is easy, uses regular thoran ingredients like coconut, jeera/cumin seeds and green chilies, and in-addition too I have added carrot which complements perfectly with beetroot. You can include or skip carrot suiting your palate, either way it tastes delicious!!!

Interested in more thoran / Kerala stir fry dishes? Check these out:

1. Carrot Cabbage Thoran
2. Broccoli Vanpayar Thoran
3. Tender Jackfruit / Idichakka Thoran
4. Yam Stir fry / Chena Thoran 

Interested in other Beetroot recipes? Check these out:

1. Beetroot Power Smoothie
2. Beetroot Hummus
3. Kerala Style Beetroot Pachadi / Beetroot with Yogurt

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

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Beetroot Carrot Thoran / Stir fry

BeetrootCarrot Thoran / Stir fry - A colorful and healthy side dish made with beetroot,carrot and coconut! A perfect accompaniment with rice.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian, Kerala

Keyword beetroot thoran, cabbage thoran, kerala

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 1 large beetroot (finely cubed / grated)
• 2 medium sized carrots (finely chopped / grated)
• ½ cup grated coconut
• 2 garlic cloves
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 2 green chilies (slit)
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 1 sprig of curry leaves
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 dry red chilies
• Salt (as required)
• Oil (as required, pref. coconut oil)

Instructions

• Heat a little oil in a pan on a medium flame, splutter mustard seeds and add curry leaves and dry red chilies.
• Add beetroot, carrot and salt, mix well and close the lid. Reduce the flame and cook it for 5-7 mins.
• Grind coconut, garlic, cumin seeds, green chilies, and turmeric powder to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
• Open the lid and stir everything together. Add the grinded coconut mix and stir well, allow it to cook for a few more minutes until it becomes soft and well cooked, stirring occasionally. Check for the seasoning.
• Switch off the flame and serve with steamed rice.

Notes

• You can skip carrot and use beetroot alone to make this recipe, which also tastes equally delicious.
• Using coconut oil is recommended for all authentic Kerala recipes.
• Adjust the quantity of green chilies used, suiting your spice levels.

The post Beetroot Carrot Thoran / Stir fry appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Pachadi is generally referred to any vegetarian yogurt-based curry, and is a quintessential dish of Sadya (the biggest vegetarian feast of Kerala). It tastes slightly sour, sweet, and tangy, which varies depending on the type of vegetable or fruit used as its core ingredient, and is mildly hot.

In a pachadi, you can use vegetables like cucumber, beetroot, ash gourd, or pumpkin, or even fruits like pineapple or banana. The core vegetable/fruit is then cooked in a base sauce made of coconut cumin paste, after which it is mixed with yogurt and topped with a tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves.

A specialty of this vellarikka pachadi is the extra addition of ground mustard paste in addition to the tempered mustard seeds. The recipe is fairly simple with usual pantry ingredients, and can makes a quick side dish for your busy days.

Interested in other pachadi recipes? Check these out:

• Beeroot Pachadi / Beetroot Yogurt Curry
• Mathanga Pachadi / Pumpkin Yogurt Curry
• Madhura Curry / Pineapple Grapes Curry

If you would like to check out my other Sadya recipes, click here.

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare. Rate us if you love it!

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Vellarikka Pachadi

VellarikkaPachadi /Yellow Cucumber in Yogurt – A mildly spiced yogurt-based curry!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian, Kerala

Keyword pachadi', sadya, vellarika pachadi

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 1 large yellow cucumber / വെള്ളരിക്ക
• 1 cup grated coconut
• 2 green chilies
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp + ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 2 dry red chilies
• 2 sprigs of curry leaves
• 1 cup yogurt (beaten)
• Oil (as required, pref. coconut oil)
• Salt (as required)
• Water (as required)

Instructions

• Peel, deseed and dice the cucumber into small bite sized pieces. In a pan, cook cucumber with a little water (just enough to cover it) and salt, until it is cooked well and turns soft.
• In the meantime, grind grated coconut with cumin seeds, green chilies, and 2-4 tbsp of water, into a smooth paste. Keep aside.
• Once the cucumber is cooked, add the ground paste into the pan, mix well and allow it to cook for another 2-3 minutes until the raw smell of the paste subsides. Turn of the flame and allow it to cool slightly.
• Crush ½ tsp mustard seeds into a paste using a mortar pestle.
• Once the cucumber mix turn mildly hot, add the beaten yogurt and crushed mustard seeds, mix well. Check for the seasoning.
• In a separate pan, prepare the tempering by heating a little oil, splutter mustard seeds. Add curry leaves and dry red chilies. Top it over the curry and enjoy!

The post Vellarikka Pachadi / Cucumber Yogurt Curry appeared first on Pepper Delight.

So Josna, on your request…!

Mathanga (Pumpkin) Pachadi is a very common dish made with coconut and yogurt, here Pachadi is a common reference to any side dish made with yogurt and usually on a sweeter note. I had earlier uploaded a Beetroot Pachadi recipe, and yes you guessed it right; I love recipes with yogurt. The one big difference with this recipe when compared to any other Pachadi recipes is the use of mustard seeds. Normally we use mustard seeds to temper by spluttering it in oil, but here we also crush it and add to the dish. That’s my mom’s secret tip, and it tastes good too.

I love the thick squishy pumpkin yogurt combo, this little sweet and sour curry will make a delicious accompaniment with rice and any spicy curry, I would recommend a fish curry to go along with.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4 – 5 servings

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup Pumpkin (chopped)
• 2 green chilies
•  1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• ½ cup Grated coconut
• ¼ tbsp Cumin seeds
• 2 sprigs Curry leaves
• Small pinch of Mustard seeds
• ½ cup yogurt
• Dry red chilies (garnish)
• Oil (as required)
• Salt (as required)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut the pumpkin into half, and clean and remove seeds from the inside. Peel of its skin.
2. Slice pumpkin into small pieces.
3. In a pan cook the pumpkin with a little water and salt, till it turns mushy.
4. Meanwhile make a coconut paste by grinding grated coconut, green chilies, turmeric powder, and cumin seeds.
5. Mash the cooked pumpkin properly with a wooden spoon or a masher. Add the coconut paste with 2 tbsp of water and mix well. Cook the mix for another 3 minutes. Turn off the flame and allow it to cool.
6. Beat yogurt and add it to the pan and mix well, taste and add salt as needed.
7. Take another small pan for tempering a little oil, curry leaves and dry red chilies, on a low flame. Add the tempering to the pumpkin curry and mix well.
8. Pound mustard seeds in mortar and pestle until crushed, and add that to the curry.

Serve with rice.

The post Pumpkin with Yogurt (Mathanga Pachadi) appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Beetroot pachadi is a South Indian dish, from the state of Kerala. Pachadi in Malayalam (the state language) is a generic reference to any side dish made with curd and is usually on a sweeter note. Different varieties of pachadis made with fruits or vegetables are quite favored in Kerala, and are a must on the menu for festivals like Onam & Vishu, and auspicious occasions like weddings.

Beetroot pachadi stands out among other dishes for its vibrant color, and the refreshing taste which is generally unexpected from a recipe out of beetroot. Lots of people do not enjoy beetroot in general, but this dish is an exception and I would surely like you all to try this out.

Interested in more pachadi recipes: Check this out Pumpkin with Yogurt/Mathanga Pachadi

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare. Rate us if you love it!

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Beetroot Pachadi/Beetroot with Yogurt

Beetroot cooked in a mildly spiced coconut gravy and mixed with creamy yogurt. One among the popular sadya recipes, best served with steamed rice...!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword beetroot pachadi, kerala, sadya

Servings 3

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 2 small beetroot (grated finely or finely minced)
• ½ cup grated coconut
• 2 green chilies
• ¼ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ cup - 1 cup Yogurt (beaten)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• Salt (as required)
• Oil (as required)
• 1 or 2 sprigs Curry leaves

Instructions

• Peel and grate the beetroots, and keep them aside.
• Grind coconut, cumin seeds and green chilies. Set aside.
• Add a little oil to a pan and saute the grated beetroots for 2 minutes with a little salt, on a low flame. Add 1/2 cup water and cook it with a closed lid on medium flame.
• As the water evaporates and the beetroot gets cooked, add the grinded paste and mix well, cook for 3-4 minutes. Turn off the flame and allow it to cool.
• Beat yogurt in a separate bowl and mix it evenly with the cooked beetroot, taste and add salt as needed.
• Tempering: Heat oil in a separate pan. Splutter mustard seeds, and add dry red chilies and curry leaves. Transfer it to the prepared pachadi and mix well.
• Serve with steamed rice. Enjoy!

The post Beetroot Pachadi (Beetroot with Yogurt) appeared first on Pepper Delight.