As usual, you first need to wash the vegetables properly and this time also the leaves of the radish. In the next step, you put a pot with water on your stove and place your beetroot into it. Let them boil in that water for about ten minutes so that they get a little bit softer.

In the meantime you can prepare the radish and its leaves. Cut the top and the end off the radish and peel it before you cut it in small pieces. The leaves need just a bit of attention now: if their stems are very thick, you need to cut them out because they won’t get soft. Cut the small stems and the leaves in fine pieces. Finally you need to peel the ginger and cut it into very small cubes.

Your beetroot should be soft by now and you can take it out of the water. Let it cool down just enough for you to peel it and cut it into small to medium-sized pieces. It is normal that your hands get a bit red in the process, so just take care of your clothes and towels!

Heat up the oil in a wok and when it is hot, add the fenugreek seeds as well as the ginger. Stir it shortly and add the curry leaves. Stir for half a minute and finally put the radish pieces and the beetroot pieces into the wok. Do not add the leaves yet, as they won’t need as much time to get cooked. Sprinkle the water on top of the vegetables, add some salt, stir and place a lid on your wok for the vegetables to cook in their own juice for a while.

Stir from time to time and after about five minutes, when the vegetable has become softer, you open the lid and add garam masala, coriander and turmeric. Stir once before you finally add the radish leaves. Mix well and place the lid onto the wok again.

Now you need to cook it on a low flame for about ten minutes and stir from time to time. You can then open the lid and let the water vaporize. It will take another seven to ten minutes before the water is gone and your vegetables are fully soft. And that’s it, your Mooli Chukandar Bhaji is ready!

Enjoy!

Ayurvedic Benefits

This is a winter dish, not only from the point of view of seasonal vegetables but also from Ayurvedic point of view. The beets increase kapha but the radish reduces it while the beetroot balances the vata which the radish increases. Both vegetables however increase pitta which makes it a dish that creates heat in the body and warms you in winter.