Vazhaipoo-Beetroot-Poriyal

#VazhaipooBeetrootPoriyal : In our daily meal we should try to include six tastes of food.
They are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, astringent, and bitter. Everyone likes to take the first four tastes daily but avoids taking bitter and astringent tasting foods. Vazhaipoo is the best example for astringent taste.
When vazhaipoo poriyal is done just like any other vegetable its astringent taste used to be predominant. So in order to camouflage its taste vazhaipoo paruppu usili is prepared traditionally. Paruppu usili is done using a masala paste of coconut and soaked gram dhal. But paruppu usili requires lots of time to prepare and laborious too. Moreover it needs lots of oil also.
So I have started preparing vazhaipoo poriyal in combination with carrot, capsicum, beetroot and radish. It tastes good and particularly its taste slightly toned down in the presence of other vegetables.

Ingredients :
1/2 cup	Vazhaipoo chopped
3/4 cup	Beetroot grated
3 Tsp	Capsicum chopped
3 Tsp	Coconut scraping
1/4 cup	Onion chopped
2 pinches	Turmeric powder
6 or 7	Curry leaves [ optional ]
1 Tsp	Sambar powder
1/2 Tsp	Mustard Seeds
1/2 Tsp	Deskinned split Black gram
1/2 Tsp	Salt [ adjust ]
1 Tsp	Oil

Coriander leaves to garnish

Method :

Remove the center unpalatable stem of each floret of vazhaipoo.

Chop nicely and keep them immersed in thin butter milk or water.

Heat a kadai on a stove with oil over medium flame.

Crackle mustard seeds and then add black gram split.

Roast until black gram turns golden color.

Then add turmeric powder, curry leaves and chopped onion.

Saute until onions become translucent.
Add chopped capsicum and Sambar powder, then saute for half a minute.

Add grated beetroot and chopped vazhaippo after draining the thin buttermilk.

Now add enough salt and mix well.

Close and cook until vazhaippo and beetroot are cooked soft.

Then add coconut scraping and toss well.

Transfer into a serving bowl and garnish with coriander leaves.

An excellent poriyal to relish along with sambar or rasam mixed with white rice for lunch.

Note :
I have used Sambar powder instead of either red chilly or green chilly. Because when red chilly or green chilly is used in the preparation its color changes to that of beetroot and there is a danger of biting chilly pieces mistakenly while eating.

Other interesting recipes you might like to try





For Stir fry and dry curry

Curry Index

For Dishes related to Lunch

Lunch Index

For variety of Dishes

Recipe Index