Beetroot Curry

1 Large beetroot or 2 cups cut beetroot pieces (peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces. Wash thoroughly)
1 Cup water
½ Teaspoon salt

Popu Or Tadka

1 Tablespoon oil
½ Teaspoon red mustard seeds
1 Teaspoon chana dal
2 teaspoons urad dal
2 Dry red chilies broken or whole 
Curry leaves from 2 stems
1 Long hot green pepper cut into half-length wise
½ Cup fresh or frozen shredded coconut
1 Tablespoon coconut for garnishing (optional)

Place beetroot pieces, water, and salt in a 2-quart saucepan. Cook them on medium heat, covered, for eight minutes or until the pieces become soft and there is no water left in the pan. Remove the vegetable into a serving dish. Wash the pan and return to the stove on medium heat. Add oil. Add mustard seeds and fry until they start to splatter. Add chana dal, urad dal, and red chilies and fry until the dals become light brown. Add curry leaves, green chili pieces and coconut. Fry for a minute. Add beetroot pieces to the popu. Lower the heat and keep it covered. Mix twice to incorporate the flavors.
Transfer the curry into the serving dish and garnish with coconut on top just before serving.
Tastes great plain, with rice or chepathi.
Note: Coconut will absorb the beetroot color if the curry is garnished ahead of time.
Makes four servings.

Beet Leaves And Mung Dal Curry

1 Bunch fresh beet leaves (separate from the beets)
½ Teaspoon salt or to taste
½ Teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
1 Cup water
½ Cup yellow-split mung dal

Tadka

2 Teaspoons oil
1/2 Teaspoon red mustard seeds
2 Teaspoons urad dal
3 Dry red chilies broken into three pieces or whole
½ Teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
¼ Teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
Curry leaves from one stem.


Separate leaves with tender stems from beetroot plants and discard tough stems. Chop leaves and stems and wash thoroughly. Cook them with one-cup water and salt in a three-quart saucepan on medium high heat until stems are cooked. Make sure there is enough water in the pan. Remove the pan from the heat. Transfer cooked leaves into a small bowl and set aside.

In the same pan cook mung dal with remaining water until dal is almost cooked. Remove mung dal into another bowl. Rinse the pan and return it to the stove. Heat the pan at medium heat. When the pan is dry add the oil. Add mustard seeds and fry until the seeds start to splatter. Add urad dal and chilies. Fry until urad dal becomes light brown. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix beet leaves and cook until all the water has evaporated. Add mung dal and cook until the leaves and dal are mixed and flavors are blended. Keep the curry on low heat, covered, for five minutes. Mix often, making sure the curry does not stick to the pan. Add more salt, if needed.

Makes four servings.

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