14 November, 2013

Beet and fenugreek greens curry/soup (kuzhambu)

Comments : 1 Posted in : side dish on November 14, 2013 by : apsara Tags: Beet, beet greens, fenugreek leaves, sambar, tamarind

In many stores here in the U.S, we get beets with their shoots. We tend to throw away the shoots, but they are very nutritious, consumed raw or in cooked form. I would recommend getting organic beets whenever available. It is good value for the money, and we do not have to waste any part of it.

In my juice recipe, I have used beet greens, raw:

http://eatingwelldiary.wordpress.com/2013/11/13/green-juice-recipe-2/

Here is a recipe with cooked beet greens and methi leaves. Beet greens are rich in vitamins A, B, C, E, K, minerals calcium, iron among others. Fenugreek (methi) leaves are a good source of protein, iron, vitamin K.

Ingredients:

beet greens- a few leaves with stalks

methi leaves- a handful without stems

cooked toor dal (pigeon peas)- 1 cup

green chillies- 1 or 2

tamarind paste- 1-2 tsp. (depending on how sour you want it)

turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp.

sambar powder- 1 tbsp.

salt- to taste

coriander leaves- for garnish

For tempering:

sesame oil- 1 tbsp.

mustard seeds- 1 tsp.

asafoetida- a small bit (if using powder, add 1/2 tsp.)

Method:

* Wash leaves well, chop into small pieces.

* In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat sesame oil, add mustard seeds, asafoetida and close with a lid. When the seeds pop, add chillies (cut lengthwise), and chopped leaves.

*  Add a small amount of water ( just enough to cook the leaves), turmeric powder, tamarind paste and salt. Cook with lid on.

* When the mixture has come to a boil, add sambar powder and cooked toor dal and let it come to a boil a couple of times. This can be done with the vessel open.

* If the mixture has too much water, it can be thickened with the addition of a mixture of rice flour in cold water.

Garnish with cilantro. This can be served with cooked brown rice with some ghee.

Notes:

* Toor dal can be cooked separately in a pressure cooker. It has to be thoroughly mashed with a ladle and made into a paste consistency in order to blend well in the curry.

* This recipe can be adapted to cook any spinach variety. It is called “keerai kuzhambu” in Tamil, “keerai” meaning spinach.

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