BEETROOT SASIVE

 BEETROOT SASIVE

In my house over the years my family has got used to hearing me say that people don't dislike particular veggies, they dislike how they are cooked!! A case in point is my husband's old dislike for beetroot. He used to hate beetroots years ago but now eats them quite cheerfully! 

I must mention that beetroot is really good for health as detailed in this article,  " The Benefits of Beets" in the Mayo Clinic website.

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes made with the good-for-health beetroots, such as:-

• Beetroot Soup, 
• Beetroot Poriyal
• Beetroot Halwa. 

Today's easy to make recipe is from my Home State of Karnataka. It is called "Beetroot Sasive" and is popular in the coastal areas of the state. This dish was on the menu in most of our visits to our old hometown. This is usually served as an accompaniment with hot steamed rice.

This dish does not call for the use of onion or garlic so can be made as a Satvik dish on days when you don't want to use onion or garlic. 

Do try this out for yourself and let me know what you thought of it. 

Ingredients:-

• Beetroots, 350-400 gms  
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp 
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1 cup
• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 4
• Salt, to taste

For Seasoning:

• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Red Chilli, 1 ( broken into halves) 
• Curry Leaves, 1 sprig
• Coconut Oil, 2 tsp 

Method:-

Wash the beetroots thoroughly. Snip off the crown

Peel and grate the beetroots

Take the grated beetroot in a thick bottomed kadhai, add  1 cup of water, turmeric powder and salt

Mix well  and cook covered on medium heat  till it gets done. Take care that it does not get overcooked as beetroot tends to get cooked fast.

In a mixer jar, grind together the coconut gratings, Byadgi red chillies and mustard seeds to a smooth paste adding just the required amount of water

Add the freshly ground masala to the cooked beetroot, mix well and bring to a boil

Check for salt and add only if required

Heat coconut oil in a small pan and on medium heat add the mustard seeds, when they splutter add the broken red chilli and curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds

Pour this seasoning on to the Beetroot Sasive

Transfer to a serving bowl

Serve the Beetroot Sasive along with hot steamed rice

BLACK POMFRET CURRY

 BLACK POMFRET CURRY 

We are back home in India after a few months in the United States. It feels good to be back in my kitchen. I wanted to make a fish dish and decided to try this one made with black pomfret- which is called Kappu Maanji/Paplet/Halwa. 

Apart from being very tasty, one of the biggest benefits of the pomfret is that it is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids and has numerous health benefits. 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes made with pomfret, such as:-

• Paplet Masaledar 
• Maanji Pulimunchi

Often, I just like to shallow fry the pomfret.  Today, I went in for a curry which pairs superbly with simple hot steamed rice!! This recipe has been adapted from Mangalore Recipes .

We loved it and I am sure you will too! 

Ingredients:-

• Black Pomfret, about 500-600 gms
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp + 1/4 tsp 
• Coriander Seeds, 3 tsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp
• Fenugreek Seeds, 1/8 tsp
• Mustard Seeds,1/8 tsp 
• Peppercorns, 1/4 tsp
• Raw Rice, 1/8 tsp 
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 8
• Short Chillies, 4
• Small sized Onion, 1 + 1 
• Tamarind, size of a small lemon 
• Garlic Cloves, 6-8 
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1 cup
• Ginger, 1 and 1/2 "
• Green Chillies, 3-5 ( less spicy variety) 
• Salt, to taste
• Coconut Oil, 1 tsp + 1 tbsp

Method:

Wash and clean the pomfret and slice them into 8-10 fillets

Mix together turmeric powder and salt. Rub this on the pomfret fillets evenly and let it marinate for about 10 minutes

Slice the onions, chop the ginger and slit the green chillies. 

Dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, peppercorns,  and raw rice all together. Keep aside. 

Heat 1 tsp coconut oil in a kadhai. Add both the Byadgi red chillies and the short chillies. Roast the chillies well on medium flame and keep aside

In a mixer jar, grind together the roasted ingredients along with the roasted chilies, 1 sliced onion, coconut gratings, tamarind, and turmeric powder to a smooth paste adding just the required amount of water. Keep aside.

Heat 1 tbsp of coconut oil in the kadhai, and on medium heat add the second sliced onion and chopped ginger, and slit green chilies

Fry till the onion turns slightly golden 

To this add the freshly prepared ground masala and mix well

Add a little water to form a gravy but make sure the gravy is thick

Add salt, mix well and bring to a boil

At this stage, drop the marinated fish pieces one by one gently into the gravy and mix carefully 

Cook for 2-3 minutes on medium  heat

Switch off the gas and transfer to a serving bowl

Serve Black Pomfret Curry with hot steamed rice