Beetroot Stir Fry (Chonda Kande Bartad) Kodava Style

Beetroot is a root vegetable that adds color to our plate. We love this vegetable and use it in salads, curries and fries. Beetroot salad is a hot favorite in our home and I have shared its recipe in an earlier post.

Beetroot is a very healthy vegetable packed with nutrition. They are an excellent source of folate, potassium, manganese, vits. C and A. They are believed to reduce inflammation, protect cells from damage, increase stamina and prevent heart disease. Since they are a good source of fibre, they provide the gut with good bacteria and boost immunity (Source: WebMD).

This Beetroot stir fry is made across south India with a few variations from region to region. It is called Thoran in Kerala, Poriyal in Tamilnadu and Palya in Karnataka. Here is a simple Kodava recipe to make a Beetroot stir fry (Chonda Kande Bartad) that is packed with flavors. It is a healthy and delicious dish that is easy to make with vey few ingredients so that its goodness is preserved.

You’ll need the following ingredients:

Ingredients

2 medium-sized Beetroots, peeled and cut into small pieces as shown in the picture below

1 medium-sized Onion, chopped fine

2 Green Chilies, slit

¼  tsp Mustard seeds

8-10 Curry leaves

2 tbsp Oil

2 tbsp grated Coconut

Salt to taste

Method

1. In a pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds. When it sputters, add the onions. When it turns pink, add the green chilies and the curry leaves.
2. After a minute add the cut beetroots. Stir well. Add ¾ cup water and let it come to a boil. Add salt and allow it to cook on a slow flame till well cooked.
3. Once the beetroots are well cooked, add the grated coconut and stir well. Cook  on a slow flame till all the moisture has evaporated.

Beetroot stir fry is ready to eat as shown below.

This dish is a great addition to a lunch or dinner menu and goes well with white rice and vottis.

Hope you enjoy making this dish!

Beetroot Salad

A salad that is colorful and packed with nutrition! A salad that is as appealing to the eye as it is to the palate! That is the Beetroot salad for you.

The main ingredient here is the earthy and colorful Beetroot. Beetroots are an excellent source of folic acid and a very good source of fibre, manganese and potassium. (Source: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/ingredient-focus-beetroot).

Beetroots combined with onions, tomatoes and green chilies with a generous sprinkling of chopped coriander leaves results in a great salad, one which is wholesome and a delight to eat. This is certainly a salad you would want to make and savor again and again.

To make a Beetroot salad for 2, you will need:

Ingredients

1 medium-sized Beetroot

1 medium-sized Onion

1 medium-sized Tomato

1 Green chili, deseeded

Fresh coriander, one small bunch, finely chopped

¼ cup water

Salt to taste

Method

1. Wash and slice all the vegetables very thin as shown in the picture. Slit the green chili. Add salt.
2. In a thick bottomed pan, cook the sliced vegetables and the slit green chili with a ¼ cup of water on a slow  flame till the vegetables are nearly cooked and the water evaporates.
3. Add the chopped coriander. Mix well.

    

Your salad is ready.

This salad is a great accompaniment with any meal. It can be a meal by itself.

Notes:

1. You can cook this salad in a pressure pan (two whistles) too. Once it cools, add the chopped coriander leaves and heat till any remaining water evaporates.