Carrot Beetroot Mezhukkupuratti - Carrot Beetroot Stir Fry

Carrot Beetroot Stir Fry(Mezhukkupuratti) is one of my favorite stir fry from school days. I could finish off a bowl of rice just like that with this stir fry and some curd/yogurt. I love the color of carrot beetroot stir fry when combines with yogurt, transformation from deep red to pretty pink and they taste marvelous!!!! I would always suggest to use fresh beetroots as they are soft and tender. They are very easy to slice and dice and cooks up quick unlike aged ones which are hard to cut, takes longer to cook. So make this easy breezy stir fry for your lunch/dinner to serve with Rice/Roti!!!!

Ingredients Used:-

1. Beetroot - 3 (~ 2 Cups When chopped into strips)
2. Carrot  - 2(~1½ Cups when chopped into strips)
3. Onion finely sliced - 1
4. Green Chilies - 4 slit into halves
5. Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
6. Salt - ½ tsp
7. Curry Leaves few
8. Coconut Oil/Oil - 1 tbsp + ½tsp

How I Made It:-

• Heat a Kadai, pour coconut Oil/Coconut Oil. Add onions and green chilies and saute till onion turns translucent.
• Add few curry leaves and saute for few seconds. Add salt, turmeric powder and stir to mix and combine.
• Add the chopped carrot and beetroot and stir well to combine. Cover with the lid and let it cook in low-medium flame for five-seven minutes stirring one or two times in between.
• Open the lid and check if beetroot is cooked enough, if not cover and cook for another three-five minutes.
• If there is more moisture set the heat on high and stir for a minute or two.
• Turn off the heat and drizzle ½ tsp of coconut oil(only if using coocnut oil, dont add oil if you are using normal oil) and few curry leaves and keep it covered until ready to serve.
• Give a gently stir before serving to blend in the flavor of coconut oil and curry leaves. Move to a serving dish and serve warm with Rice/Roti

Broccoli Rabe(Rapini) Thoran/Broccoli Rabe Stir Fry

Winter is winding up and Spring blossom is here. Our local food market have loads of fresh green goodness, some of which I do not even know the names. This Brocolli Rabe Rapini was in demo in a near by store and my hubby liked the simply stir fry the Vendor provided flavored with garlic and dashes of lemon juice. Vendor said it is bit bitter but adding lemon juice will reduce them. I brought it home, made this Thoran, flavored with garlic, curry leaves and served with splashes of lemon juice. Adding grated coconut is optional which can reduce the bitterness too but I made it without coconut as well. I wonder where all the bitterness go, we couldnt even feel any :-) It tasted great, goes well with Rice/Roti. Try out this fresh green goodness, Enjoy !!!!

Ingredients:-

1. Broccoli Rabe - a bunch
2. Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
3. Green chilies - 3 small
4. Shallots - 3 or 4 or half of a medium sized onion chopped finely
5. Curry leaves a spring or two
6. Grated coconut (optional)
7. Garlic - 2 cloves
8. Oil - 1 table spoon
9. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tea spoon
10. Lemon Juice from ½ or 1 Lemon
11. Salt to taste

Method:-

·         Rinse the broccoli rabe well in water and chop it .

·         Heat oil in a wide pan and add mustard seeds. When it splutters reduce the heat to medium and add Shallots/Onion, Garlic, Curry leaves, green chilies and salt. Saute for few minutes till onion turns translucent and garlic leaves it raw flavor.

·         Add the turmeric powder and sauté for few swconds. Add chopped broccoli rabe. Saute well to combine everything.

·         Cover and cook for just 2-3 minutes, Open the lid and sauté for few more minutes till the water is fully absorbed and leaves are soft. Make sure leaves don’t go mushy.

·         Increase the heat to full/high and add the grated coconut and saute for another two minutes or until it is dry. Remove from heat.

·         Sprinkle juice of lemon when the stir fry is ready to serve and mix well. Serve warm with Rice or Roti.

Achinga Payar Thoran - Long Yard Beans Stir Fry

Ingredients:-

1. Achinga Payar/Yard Long Beans - 1 Bunch(~ 1 lb/oru kettu)
2. Onion - 1
3. Green Chilies - 4
4. Salt ~ 3/4 tsp(to taste)
5. Turmeric powder ~ 3/4 tsp
6. Grated Coconut ~ 3tbsp
7. Coconut Oil - 2 tsp
8. Mustard seeds - 1tsp
9. Dry Red chilies - 3
10. Curry leaves few

Preparation Method:-

• Wash and pat dry the beans, chop them fine, add salt, turmeric powder, chopped onion, green chilies and mix well with clean hands or spoon.
• Heat up a kadai/pan, pour coconut oil, add mustard and let it crackle. Add curry leaves, red chilies and the yard beans mix. 
• Saute it well for two-three minutes, simmer the flame to medium heat and let it cook till done or till raw smell of beans vanishes.
• Add grated coconut, few more curry leaves and saute well again. Take off the stove and drizzle a spoon of coconut oil if desired(It adds taste). Serve with boiled Rice and Moru Curry.

Linking this to The Kerala Kitchen hosted at Erivum Puliyum