Beetroot/Beets and yogurt Salad / Raita / Pachadi

One more healthy recipe to kick start your new year. Yogurt and beets nutrition boost. I know I shouldn’t emphasize on too much healthy recipe as I have a baking blog with enough dessert recipes. But let me tell you this, I do try to eat healthy every now and then, but there are days when I indulge in sugary deep fried funnel cakes, donuts and all that there is on the not so good list. But isn’t life all about balancing but, I wish I could eat more items from the 2nd list. O, I wish a wish that desserts and deep fried stuff were only healthier, if only that could come true.
Pachadi is a traditional recipe from the southern state of India (kerala). Its served as a side with rice. Pachadi can be made with other vegetables like carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, cucumber etc. The main step is to grind the coconut and mustard together which gives the salad its real flavor.

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Beetroot/Beets and yogurt Salad / Raita / Pachadi

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups very finely chopped beets
• 1 1/2 cup yogurt well beaten
• 1/2 cup chopped onion About 1 small onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
• 1 green chilly slit
• 1 spring curry leaves
• TO GRIND:
• 1/4 cup grated coconut
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
• To garnish: Optional
• 2 teaspoons oil
• 5-6 curry leaves
• 2 red chillies

Instructions

1. Grind the coconut + 2 teaspoons mustard seeds + ginger into a fine paste. Keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seed. Once mustard cracks, add onion + add green chillies + curry leaves. After the onion softens add beet. Sautee and to this add the ground coconut paste. Mix well and turn off the heat once the beet softens a little but stays firm. (Do not let it overcook).
3. Add the beet mixture to the yogurt and mix well. Taste and add salt if needed.
4. For additional garnish(optional): Heat oil, add mustard seeds and wait for it to crack. To this add curry leaves + 2 red chillies. Pour this over the raita or pachadi.

Recipe Notes

For the ease, sometime I grate beets instead of finely chopping them. But, the consistensy and texture of pachadi is definitely better with chopped beets.
Adding ginger enhances the taste but even a liitle more that required could be overpowering.
Pachadi can be made with other vegetables like carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, cucumber etc.