I have always loved good food; both cooking and savoring a nice dish is like a stress buster to me. I grew up eating some authentic South Indian dishes cooked by my mother and grandmother, and I always wanted to cook like them. They used to make the whole process look so easy. It was after I got into my job that I got an opportunity to learn cooking from a certified chef. Though I learnt everything from Indian, to Italian to Chinese, I observed that my love for South Indian Food only grew stronger. Now a mom myself, I spend most of my time in my kitchen, trying to whip some deliciousness every day.
My 12-year-old is not a big fan of beetroot. However, when the doctor suggested she needs to include it in her diet, I started looking out for ways to do that. She is a picky eater, and I decided to experiment with a curry that is tasty and healthy at the same time. So, rather than going with the regular recipe, I decided to tweak it a little and added cashew powder to the curry. And, to my surprise, my daughter and everyone else in my family loved it.
Beetroot Curry with Coconut & Cashew
Tender and fresh beets are cooked with onion and topped with fresh coconut and cashew. The sweetness of beets is balanced with the spiciness of red chilies, and the nutty, yet the buttery flavor of the cashews. I can assure you that this is one dish that is loved by adults and kids alike, and even those who never tried beets before.
Where Is the Dish From?
The beetroot curry with coconut is a very common dish, cooked in most households in India, especially in the southern part of the country. This variety is also called Beetroot Poriyal and is often served along with rice in Andhra, Tamil Nadu or Kerala. However, it is quite rare to find one which has both coconut and cashew in it.
Ingredients
- 1 Fresh Beetroot Large Size or 2 Medium Ones (Grated)
- 1 Onion Medium Sized (Finely Chopped)
- Fresh Coconut – Very Finely Grated or Powdered (Do not make it a paste, it has to be like a powder)
- Cashew Nuts– 6 – 7 (Roughly Powdered)
- Cooking Oil – 1 Tbsp
- Mustard Seeds – ¼ tsp
- Cumin – ¼ tsp
- Curry Leaves – 6-7 Leaves
- Red Chilli Dry – 3 – Broken into Halves
- Salt – To Taste
- Fresh Coriander Leaves for Garnish (Can omit if you do not like it)
Instructions
- Take a wide bottomed pan. Keep it on medium flame, and add the oil to it.
- Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, and cumin and wait till they splutter.
- Next, add the red chilli halves, and curry leaves.
- Once the chillies start to become slightly darker, add the chopped onion.
- Sauté till the onions turn translucent.
- Add grated beetroot, and mix well. Cook till the beetroot becomes tender. As we are using grated beetroot, it cooks very fast.
- Next add the roughly powdered cashew and cook for a minute.
- Add salt as per taste, mix well and finish it off with freshly grated coconut & fresh coriander leaves.
- Cook for only a minute, and turn off the flame.
- Serve it hot with rice or roti
https://10minutesrecipe.com
