Beety Sesamy Flavour-Burst Rice Bowl ! Beetroot, fenugreek aromatic mix rice bowl in sweet, sour, hot flavours

Beety Sesamy Flavour-Burst Rice Bowl

Its good when you feel , intuitive, sure and creative! When certain basics are right and still there is a long way to go, discovering and exploring something never tried or heard before elevates the journey all of a sudden. And such is life. Each day you feel one way or the other.

Well I was feeling red and velvety… not like angry red.. but bright vivid red… and green.. like the fresh, garden green!

And that turned into a gardeny red healthy bowl of rice. I wish I could capture the flavours here. So try it and experience the delight yourself.

Beety Sesamy Flavour-Burst Rice Bowl ! Beetroot, fenugreek aromatic mix rice bowl in sweet, sour, hot flavours

The recipe is a veggie mix rice dish I ended up cooking and relishing with a taste that was exotic, comforting, with true and fresh burst of flavours.

Some key ingredients are beetroot and fenugreek (methi patte) …

“Beetroot is low in fat, full of vitamins and minerals and packed with powerful antioxidants – a health-food titan” (Source: bbcgoodfood.com/)

“Methi contains protein, fibre, vitamin C, niacin, potassium, iron and alkaloids.” (Source: thehealthsite.com/)

Enjoy the process of cooking this simple dish by cutting, chopping, grating, mashing the required ingredients beforehand while you watch your favourite show. Just make sure to visit your nearest veggie seller for fresh vivid green fenugreek leaves and bright red beetroots..

Fenugreek leaves and dhaniya

Pre-preps

First Stage of Cooking the rice :

• Groundnut Oil or sesame/olive oil (I used groundnut)
• Fennel seeds: Just a little more than a pinch
• Finely chopped green chillies(Keep the seeds on!)
• Finely Chopped Garlic
• Finely grated Ginger
• Cooked Kolam or regular rice(not too soggy so that it can mix well later)
• Curry leaves: Chopped
• Hing or asafoetida
• Fresh Methi/fenugreek leaves : Two small bowls
• Beetroot : Two Chopped Coriander leaves for garnish
• Salt for garnish
• Pepper for garnish (peppery delights add punch of flavours)

For the wild tempering:

• Butter(How can there be no butter in my recipe 😉 )
• Oil
• White Sesame seeds (til)
• Sugar granules
• Whole Red Chillies
• Coriander seeds: Just a pinch (I would recommend crushing these already after slightly roasting)
• Grated Paneer

Added and recommended ingredient delights:

• Teeny weeny Pieces of apple : one tbsp
• Boiled potatoes with pinch of italion seasoning : One big potato
• Lemon juice

Mashed potatoes

Coriander seeds goodness

Cheese, green chillies, garlic, coriander seeds

Fennel and asofoetida/hing goodness Asafoetida is one of the spices native to Afghanistan and cultivated near India. It is one of the most common spices used in Asian cuisine and especially the Indian cuisine. Though the odor of the spice is strong, Asafoetida is known for its miraculous health benefits for human body. Used widely in dals/lentil recipes and pickel preparations.

Beety bites

Fenugreek or methi.. the yummier way

Grated cheese

THE RICE

An ingredient : Sesame : used in Indian Cooking since always for the crispy crunch to any recipe. Sesame seeds add a nutty taste and a delicate, almost invisible, crunch to many Asian dishes. They are also the main ingredients in tahini (sesame seed paste) and the wonderful Middle Eastern sweet call halvah. They are available throughout the year. One of my favorite facts about sesame seeds is that they are an abundant source of minerals.

Sesame, Curry leaves, coriander leaves, red chillies, Fenugreek

Let’s begin this exciting culinary journey!

Cook the beeroot in boiling water for say 5 to 7 minutes.

Pass through running tap water.

Peel off the skin and chop into fine tiny diced pieces.

Beetroot in boiling water

Keep aside.

Diced beetroot Maroon red delight

In a preheated deep pan on a gastop, add 1 tbsp oil.

Once heated, add half a tsp of fennel seeds.

Once toasted in the oil, add 1 tbsp of ginger and 1 tbsp of chopped garlic goodness.

Stir and let cook for 30 secs. Add the chopped green chillies. Stir for 30 secs only.

Add the methi/fenugreek leaves. Cook for 30 secs.

Beetroot contains betaine, which in other forms is used to help treat depression, and trytophan, the feel good chemical in chocolate. n 1975, during the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, cosmonauts from the USSR’s Soyuz 19 welcomed the Apollo 18 astronauts by preparing a banquet of borscht (beetroot soup) in zero gravity.

Add the delightful par-boiled beetroot pieces. Stir till the fenugreek turns slightly crispy.

Add the rice and mix everything well making sure not to break the grains or letting it stick to bottom.

Sprinkle salt and pepper

  Parallel to it now, heat a tapered shallow pan in the othe rburner. Add few drops of oil along with half tsp of salted butter to avoid butter from burning.  Once heated add crushed slightly pre-roasted coriander seeds, raw sesame seeds, chopped red chilles, curry leaves chopped, a pinch of asafoetida and stir well. After 10 secs add a tbsp of sugar granules. Stir it all till sesame gets crispy  (be careful not to burn the sesame or red chillies) (I say just taste a sesame to identify if crispy and well roasted for the perfect topping to this dish)

Keep an eye by continuously roasting, toasting and stirring.

Gardeny tempering

Hey Sugar!    Sugar and sesame together are quite the pair to go for!

Tempering to be added to the main cooking

The ingredients for the tempering should be ready in 20 to 25 secs.

Add the grated paneer/cottage cheese (half a small bowl) and mashed potatoes which has been seasoned with pinch Italian dried herbs. (Italian seasoning is optional) Toast them well along with other ingredients in the tempering pan.

Separately  lightly roast the tiny bits of apples. Keep aside

NOW…

Add all of this except the apples in to the other pan with rice, beetroot, fenugreek mix..Mix well…

Sprinkle finely chopped coriander leaves on top and lemon juice. On topmost layer add the apple toppings…

Grab the entire bowl and enjoy with your favourite tv show and person!

Coriander, commonly known as Dhania in the Indian Subcontinent and Cilantro in the Americas and some parts of Europe, is an herb that is extensively used around the world as a condiment, garnish, or decoration on culinary dishes.

                                 

Participated in an interactive forum Fiesta Friday hosted at  http://thenovicegardener.wordpress.com/

 

Excerpts From The Forum:

Fridays are usually filled with anticipation for a fun and exciting or relaxing weekend. Fridays feel different and are somehow more special than other weekdays. They’re days to indulge, to let your hair down, and to celebrate by kicking it up a notch.

So, share with us how you celebrate your Fridays.