Beetroot MorKootu \ Beetroot in Coconut Yogurt Gravy

Beetroot, a deep red rooted vegetable can be eaten either in cooked form or raw, shredded in salads. This mild sweetish vegetable is an excellent source of antioxidants and nutrients. Juice of this vegetable helps in lowering the blood pressure and its useful for preventing cardiovascular problems.  Beetroot curry is the most common version made out of this vegetable. My mom used to make "Beetroot Morkootu" at home during my childhood. The gravy is made out of fresh coconut, green chillies, ginger, thick fresh yogurt and cumin seeds. Mild sweeter beetroots in the spicy, yogurt gravy is really delicious as it has varieties of taste inside.

Ingredients

Beetroot - 2 Medium

Oil -- 1 tbsp

Hing \ Asafoetida -- 1 Dash

Mustard Seeds -- 2 tsp

Urad Dal \ Mina Pappu \ Ulutham Paruppu - 1 tsp

Dry Red Chilli --- 1

Curry Leaves -- 1 stem

Fresh Shredded coconut -- Half cup

Green chillies -- 2

Cumin Seeds -- 1 tsp

Ginger - 1 tsp shredded

Fresh curd --- Half a cup

Salt - To Taste

Method

• Peel the skin off the Beetroot and cut them into small cubes or in any desired shape. Cook them in a vessel with little water.
• Grind a fine smooth paste of  fresh coconut flakes, green chillies, cumin seeds, ginger in a mixer grinder. Add little curd to the grinder while grinding. Keep the grounded paste ready on the side.
• After the beetroot is completely cooked, add the grounded paste from the grinder to the vessel and mix them well.
• Add required amount of salt to the vessel and allow them to cook for few minutes.
• Add the remaining fresh curd into the kootu now. Mix them well again.
• In a separate tadka \ tempering pan, add little oil followed by Mustard seeds, urad dal, red chilli, curry leaves and pour them over the Kootu. Now the Beetroot MorKootu is ready to be eaten.
• Its good to eat with Dal Rice, Vathakuzhambu rice or any tangy rice.

Peerkangai Thogayal \ Beerakaya Pachadi\ Ridgegourd Thogayal

In this version, the thogayal is made with the inner flesh of the vegetable not with its skin. Mostly we make this Thogayal when we really bored of the regular Sambar, Rasam varieties. With a side of some papads, this thogayal rice is very tasty.

Ingredients

Fresh Ridge Gourd -  1 Big

Urad Dal \ Mina Pappu -  21\2 tsp

Tamarind -- 1 small pinch

Dry Red Chilli --- 4

Cumin Seeds --- 1 tsp

Hing \ Asafoetida -- 1 Dash

Salt - To Taste

Oil -- 1 tbsp

Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp

Curry Leaves -- 3

Method

• Peel the skin of the Ridge Gourd and cut the flesh of the vegetable into smaller pieces and keep them ready.
• In a kadai, add half a tbsp of oil and add Hing, 2 tsp of Urad Dal, tamarind, dry red chillies and fry them well first. When it turns into golden brown, transfer them to a mixer grinder.
• In the same kadai, fry the Ridge Gourd pieces for few minutes and transfer them to the mixer grinder.
• When the Ridge Gourd pieces reduce in size and becomes little soggy, its mostly well fried and cooked.
• Grind the contents in the mixer grinder with required amount of salt. When its done, transfer the Thogayal into a small bowl.
• In the same kadai, add little bit of oil. When it gets heated, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, half tsp of Urad Dal and 3 or 4 curry leaves and finish the tempering process.
• Pour them over the Thogayal and mix it well. Now the Peerkangai Thogayal is ready to eat.

Tips

Try to taste a small pinch of  raw Ridge Gourd before actually making the Thogayal. If its bitter, then it will totally spoil the Thogayal taste. So, don't proceed in this case.