Beetroot Lentil Curry/ Dal/Rasam/Soup

My parents being doctors they always taught us to eat sprouts,drink carrot beet juice,bottlegourd juice,nuts in the morning..My dad drinks beetrootjuice combining sumtimes with bottlegourd,carrot or bittergourd juice.
ishhhhhh...but yes all these r very beneficial for ones body..after reading benefits of beet below u all wil agree with my dad..
But  beet doesnt hv its own taste,rather than a little sweet...we used to get bored having the juice (and now my husband,he used to hate beet )and one fine day my innovative mom taught me this curry/rasam and we hv bowls n bowls just as soup and love it...now my hubby loves it too and ask for more..
Benefits-
Beetroots are an excellent source of folic acid. They are a very good source of fiber, manganese and potassium. and  are a good source of phosphorus, magnesium, iron and vitamin B6. Betacyanin is the pigment that gives beetroot its color, and has powerful antioxidant properties.
Beet fiber has been shown to have cholesterol lowering capabilities.Beetroot has been shown to lower blood pressure in subjects with normal blood pressure.Betaine, a nutrient found in beets and lowers plasma homocysteine, a possible risk factor for cardiovascular disease.Beetroot contains the bioactive agent betaine, which supports healthy liver function.The findings suggest that beetroot ingestion can be a useful means to help prevent cancer and gastric cancers/digestive disorder aswell.Along with these benefits beet is also beneficial for skin and hair(dandruff when mixed with little vinegar).Also beneficial for womens as it aids in regulation of menstruation.


U need-
2 small beets, unpeeled,Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp,Cinnamon stick-2",Bayleaf-1,whole Black peppercons-5-6

Toordal-1/4 cup,Chanadal-1/2 cup(washing,soaking,roasting,cooking)..see how to in method
One lime-sized piece of seedless tamarind,2 tblsp of jaggery, or brown sugar..dissolved in hot water
salt/pepper to taste,Red chilly powder-1 tsp

Masala Paste:
1 tblsp  of oliveoil/sesameoil/veg.oil,grated ginger-1 tblsp,crushed garlic-1 tsp,curryleaves-10
1 medium red onion,1 tblsp of coriander seeds,1 tsp of cumin seeds,1/2 tsp of fenugreek seeds,
2 tblsp dry coconut,2-3 strigs of cilantro

Tempering:
1 tblsp ghee, 1 tsp of black mustard seeds,1 dry red chili, split in half,
small handful of dried curry leaves,asafoetida(hing)-pinch


Method-
a)Wash and soak both dals for 15mins.drain .roast them in 1 tsp of ghee til fragrant and add hot water and boil with pinch of turmeric powder til done(cooked but dals holding its shape) or simply pressure cook.drain and save the boiled water.

b)Wash and Boil the whole beetroot with pinch of salt,cinnamon stick,bayleaf ,cumin seeds until tender. Let it cool to handle, then peel, transfer to a bowl and mash. Set aside.keep the boiled water aside discarding the bayleaf and cinnamon stick...or u can simply pressure cook.

c)Soak the tamarind in hot water for 15 minutes. Strain the juice into another bowl, squeezing as much juice out of the tamarind pulp as you can. Discard the pulp and mix in jaggery.keep aside.

d)Paste-Heat the oil in a frying pan ,add the seeds n fry until the seeds are fragrant.saute curryleaves til crisp,
Add onion and fry til light brown,add ginger garlic and coconut. Saute til coconut is brown .finally add cilantro leaves and strigs and mix.Remove,cool slightly and then grind to a paste with red chilly powder,cooked and drained chana dal/toordal and boiled mashed beet.Set aside.

e)Tempering-Heat ghee  in a saucepan .Add the mustard seeds, red chilly,curry leaves and hing. When the mustard seeds splutter and begin to pop, add masala paste and fry for  2-3 mins ,add boiled beet water,dal water and some hot water (the consistency u like,i like mine soupy consistency).Add tamarind/jagggery pulp.Mix well.Add salt/pepper.And let it come to a boil.Simmer, Stir and cover and let sit for a few minutes(approx 15-20 mins on simmer)
Serve hot with rice,phulkas,as soup garnished with cilantro leaves.

Note-The curry seems to thicken by addition of dals ,so adjust the  amount of water as per ur consistency..


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and also to Vegetarian Foodie Fridays














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SANYUKTA GOUR(BAYES) http://creativesanyukta.blogspot.com/