Beets: Root & Greens

When you buy beets, do you throw away the greens, or keep them? If you keep them and actually eat them, you are getting a lot more nutrition, in fact more than the beet root itself. You can read more here.

I always keep the greens and try to pair the greens with the beets as 2 dishes to serve with brown rice. These are really simple and easy recipes; recipes that I have grown up with, but with different vegetables.

Beets Pachadi - Raw beets salad 

Beets - 3 small 

Coconut shredded - 1/2 cup (fresh recommended - but if not available use dried coconut) 

Black mustard seeds - 1/2 tspn

Red chilly - 1-2 

Homemade yogurt - 1/2 cup

Sea salt - as per taste 

Wash beets well, peel the skin. (I don't completely peel the skin, I just rub the skin softly with knife to remove the very rough outer part of the skin) 

Grate the beets into bowl.

Grind coconut, mustard and red chilly into a fine paste. Add yogurt if needed to aid grinding.

Add ground coconut, yogurt and salt to grated beets and mix well. 

Beet Greens Thoran  - Stir fried beet greens

Beet greens with stems - small bunch 

Virgin Coconut oil - 1 tbsn

Garlic - 2 cloves

Red chilly - 1-2

Coconut shredded - 1/2 cup (fresh recommended - but if not available use dried coconut) 

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn

Sea salt - as per taste

Wash the greens and drain well.

Chop the stem and leaves separately.

Mince garlic and red chillies. 

Heat coconut oil in a shallow pan over medium heat, add garlic & chilly and saute till garlic is slightly golden. 

Add chopped beet green stems and turmeric powder. Sprinkle few tablespoons of water and cook covered for a minute or so. 

Add chopped leaves and mix well and cook till the leaves just wilted. Remove from flame so that you don'e over cook them.

Add salt and garnish with coconut.

Serve both these along with brown rice.