Beetroot Kurma

Beetroot  Kurma - A delicious kurma, made of mixed vegetables, Indian spices and creamy coconut gravy. Best with Rotis / Pulao / Rice / Pooris /  Kerala parotta …

1^st recipe

Serves: 3 - 4

Ingredients

1, For the chilli paste:

4 green chillies (big size 2 or medium size 4)

½ - inch piece ginger, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

Transfer above ingredients in a small mixer bowl and make a rough paste without adding water (or use a mortar and pestle to make rough paste). Keep aside.

2, For the coconut paste:

4 tablespoon grated coconut (or 60 g)

1 ½ teaspoon khus khus (poppy seeds)

6 cashew nuts (or 12 cashew nut splits)

50 ml (1/4 cup) water

Soak cashew nuts and poppy seeds in 50 ml water for 1 hour and make a smooth paste (with soaking water) in a mixer with grated coconut. Keep aside.

3, Final stage:

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

3 cloves

3 cardamoms

3 cinnamon sticks (1 – inch size)

1 small bay leaf

1 onion, chopped

Green chilli – ginger – garlic paste

1 ½ teaspoon coriander powder

¼ teaspoon (or 2 pinches) turmeric powder

1 beetroot, gently peel off the outer skin and cut into cubes

2 small size carrot, cubed (1/4 – inch cubes)

1 potato, cubed (1/4 – inch cubes) (or any vegetables of your choice like cauliflower, green peas…)

¾ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1 cup (200 ml) water

Coconut paste

Extra 50 ml water

2 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves

Method

Dilute coriander powder and turmeric powder in 2 teaspoons of water and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan / kadai / karahi.  Add cloves, cardamom, cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Fry on a low heat for 2 – 3 minutes until fragrant.

Add chopped onion and fry until light golden color on a medium to low heat.

Add green chilli – ginger – garlic paste. Stir on a low heat for 3 minutes until the raw smell goes.

Add diluted coriander – turmeric powder mix. Stir well for 2 – 3 minutes until well combined.

Add cubed vegetables, 1 cup water and salt to taste. Mix all the ingredients well. Cover with a tight lid and cook on a medium to low heat for 12 -1 5 minutes until done / vegetables cooked.

At this stage, add coconut paste, adjust the consistency of the gravy with extra 50 ml / ¼ cup water if required (but not more than 50 ml.  It won’t taste good if the gravy is too thin) and adjust salt to taste if required. Mix well and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and serve with rotis / pulao / ghee rice / poori …

2^nd Recipe 

Ingredients

For the coconut paste:

5 tablespoons grated coconut

1 teaspoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon red chilli powder

½ teaspoon aniseed powder / fennel powder (saunf powder), it will give a nice aroma 

2 tablespoon water

Make a smooth paste of above ingredients with 2 tablespoon water in a small mixer bowl. Keep aside.

Other ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

2 cloves

2 cardamoms

2 small cinnamon sticks

1 onion, chopped finely

1 beetroot, cut into cubes

2 carrots, cut into cubes

1 potato, cut into cubes (or any other vegetables  like French beans, cauliflower, green peas ..)

1 ¼ cup water (250 ml) Please measure in Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz capacity

¾ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Coconut paste

Extra ¼ cup / 50 ml  water

1 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves (optional)

Method

Heat oil in a karahi or pan on a medium heat. Add cloves, cardamom and cinnamon. Fry on a low heat until fragrant. Add chopped onion and fry until golden color.

Add cubed vegetables, 1 ¼ cup water (1 – inch level above vegetables)  and salt to taste. Mix all the ingredients well. Cover with a lid and cook on a medium to low heat for 12 – 15 minutes until done / vegetables well cooked.

At this stage, add coconut paste, adjust with ¼ cup / 50 ml water if required (korma should be of pouring in consistency). Gently mix all the ingredients. Cover with lid again and cook on a low heat for 8 minutes until coconut gravy well combined with vegetables. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves (optional). Serve with chapatti / poori / idiyappam …