The beetroot isn’t a very popular vegetable. It’s nutritious and packed with goodness, but the taste is a hit or miss with most people. But there’s a way to make even the staunchest beetroot avoiders enjoy it. By turning it into a dessert, of course!

Beetroot Halwa

Grated Beetroot – 2 cups loosely packed
Boiled Milk – 1 cup
Sugar – 1/2 cup
Ghee – 2 tbsp + 1 tsp for frying cashews
Cardamom powder – 1/2 tsp
Chopped Nuts – 6 broken

METHOD

1. In a Ultra Pressure Cooker, heat a tablespoon of ghee and add the grated beets. Saute for 3-5mins in low flame, until the raw smell leaves.
2. Add milk and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Once the beetroot softens lower the flame to low medium for the milk to reduce.
3. Once it starts bubbling, it will slowly reduce. Stir so it doesn’t get caught to the bottom and burn. Remember to scrape down the sides too.
4. When the milk is almost reduced add sugar. It will become runny again. Keep stirring.
5. The whole mixture will look glossy and sticky. Add ghee little by little starting from this stage. Add cardamom powder.
6. When the mixture becomes dry, add little more ghee, stir well and turn the flame off.
7. Add fried cashews for garnish and serve warm.

To make a healthier option for those avoiding sugar, you can replace the sugar with dates. Just chop up a few dates and add them along with the beets. Try this experiment out at home and let’s see if we can turn the beetroot into a more interesting vegetable for your family.

Ms. Asha Krishnakumar shares her recipe for Elai Adai, a lip-smacking breakfast staple during Onam.

Elai Adai is a delicacy popular in Kerala. Essentially steamed dumplings, filled with sweetened coconut or during summers, jackfruit. This is the basic recipe, with aval, coconut and jaggery.

Elai Adai

Raw rice flour – 1 cup
Red aval – 1/2 cup
Grated coconut – 1/2-3/4 cup
Jaggery – 1 cup
Oil for greasing the plantain leaf
Cardamom powder – 1 teaspoon

Preparing the Adai dough:
Boil 2 cups of water, add a pinch of salt and 2-3 drops oil.
To the boiling water, add the raw rice flour and mix it well to form dough

For the filling (poornam):
Take a pan, boil water, add jaggery and allow it to dissolve.
Add red aval, grated coconut, and cardamom powder to the water.
Stir it till it becomes thick poornam.

Getting the banana leaf ready :
Take nice flat broad plantain leaves. Place the leaf on a low flame on the stove, turn sides and move it around the flame so all sides are heated. This is done so that while making Adais the leaf does not get torn.

METHOD

1. Take the banana leaf, apply few drops of oil evenly.
2. Make the rice dough in to small round balls and flatten them with greased hands.
3. Place a small filling in the flatten rice dough and fold it with the leaf.
4. After making all the pieces ready, steam it in the Ultra Pressure Cooker for 10-15 minutes.
5. Instead of Aval you can also add boiled moong dal or jackfruit.
5. This delicious dish will evoke memories of grandmothers in summer, especially if you add chopped jackfruit to the filling.

Kaalan

Another favourite in the Sadya is the Kaalan, a signature curd-based dish made with yam or raw banana, or both.

2 Raw banana peeled and diced
1 Teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
1 Cup curd
1/2 Teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
1/2 Teaspoon red chilli powder
Salt to taste

Ingredients to be grind:
2 Green chillies
1 Teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
1 Cup coconut freshly grated

Ingredients for the seasoning
1 Teaspoon coconut oil
1 Teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2 Teaspoon mustard seeds
1/8 Teaspoon methi seeds (fenugreek seeds)
2 Dry red chillies slit into two
2 Sprigs curry leaves

METHOD

1. In a Ultra Pressure Cooker, cook the banana with turmeric powder, curry leaves and salt along with 1/4 cup of water until the bananas soften.
2. Stir in yogurt and chilli powder and set aside.
3. Make a fine paste out of the grated coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds.
4. Add the paste to the raw banana and yogurt curry and bring the mixture to a boil
5. While the Kaalan is coming to a boil, prepare the seasoning.
6. In a small pan, temper mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and red chilies in coconut oil to release the flavours.
7. Once roasted, pour the seasoning into the Kaalan, stir well and serve.

Inji Curry

A combination of ginger, tamarind and jaggery, Puli Inji is an Onam staple. No Sadya is complete without it. Which is perhaps why this is the first dish prepared in most households.

1 Cup tamarind water, from 40 grams of tamarind
2 Tablespoons ginger, chopped
2 Tablespoons green chillies, chopped
1/4 Teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
1/4 Teaspoon methi seeds (fenugreek seeds)
1/4 Teaspoon red chilli powder
1/4 Teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
3 Tablespoons jaggery
1/4 Teaspoon mustard seeds
3 Sprig curry leaves, finely chopped
Salt, to taste

METHOD

1. In the Ultra Endura+ Pan, temper mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds and allow it to crackle.
2. Add asafoetida, curry leaves, ginger and green chillies. Saute to release the flavours.
3. To this, add turmeric powder, tamarind extract, red chilli powder, salt and jaggery.
4. Allow the mixture to come to boil. Once it does, turn the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes until the mixture thickens.
5. Turn off the heat, adjust the salt and serve.

Erisseri

A delicacy made of pumpkin, red beans and coconut paste. Topped with roasted coconut for extra crunch and flavour. Try it and see what the hype is all about.

2 Cups kaddu (parangikai/ pumpkin) chopped
½ Cup black eyed beans (lobia)
½ Teaspoon red chilli powder
½ Teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
Salt to taste

To Grind:
1/2 Cup fresh coconut grated
1/2 Teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
1 Green chilli

For Tempering:
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 Teaspoon mustard seeds
1 Sprig curry leaves
2 Dry red chillies
1 Tablespoon fresh coconut
4 Pearl onions (sambar onions) sliced

METHOD

1. Soak black eyed beans for an hour.
2. Pressure-cook the beans with half a cup of water, for 3 to 5 whistles. Let the pressure release on its own.
3. Grind the paste ingredients – jeera, coconut and green chillies with a little water. Make a coarse paste and set it aside.
4. In a kadai, add the pumpkin, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt and cook on medium heat till the pumpkins are nearly cooked. Add water as required.
5. Add the coconut paste and the boiled black eyed peas to the pumpkin and stir well.
6. Cook on medium heat for another five minutes until the pumpkin is completely cooked.
7. Heat oil in a tadka pan. First add the mustard seeds and let it splutter, and then add curry leaves and red chillies.
8. Next, add sliced onions. Once they turn golden brown, add the coconut and saute till the coconut turns golden brown as well.
9. Add this to the Erissery and serve hot.

Chena Mezhukkupuratty

Mildly spiced and highly irresistible, this yam preparation will have you coming back for more.

2 Cups elephant yam (suran/senai/ratalu) chopped into small cubes
1 Tablespoon red chilli powder
1 Teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
1 Tablespoon fennel seeds (saunf) pound
1 Teaspoon black pepper powder
1 Teaspoon mustard seeds
1 Sprig curry leaves
1 Tablespoon coconut oil

To Grind
1 Cup pearl onions (sambar onions)
6 Cloves garlic

METHOD

1. Cook the yam in the Ultra Pressure Cooker with water, salt and turmeric for about 3 whistle. Do not
2. Boil it till it becomes mushy. Strain the water immediately.
3. Grind onions and garlic to a coarse paste.
4. Temper mustard seeds and curry leaves in a kadai and then add the onions and garlic paste.
5. Add the spice powders and fry till the raw smell goes away.
6. Once ready, add the boiled yam and fry till it crisps up

Moru Kachiyathu

The ultimate comfort food, Moru Kachiyathu is flavoured with black sesame seeds, shallots, ginger and garlic for a healthy meal.

2 Cups curd (dahi / yogurt)
1-1/2 Cups water
5 Shallots (pearl onions), finely sliced
1 Inch ginger finely chopped
3 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 Green chilli finely chopped
1/2 Teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
1 Teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 Teaspoon methi seeds (fenugreek seeds)
1 Sprig curry leaves
2 Dry red chillies
2 Teaspoons coconut oil
Salt to taste

METHOD

1. Whisk curd in a big bowl to get a silky texture.
2. Add water and whisk some more to get to a buttermilk consistency.
3. Temper mustard, methi seeds, curry leaves, red chillies and let it splutter.
4. To this, add sliced shallots, garlic and saute until the onions soften.
5. Add chopped ginger, green chillies, turmeric powder and flash fry it.
6. Turn the heat to low, and slowly add the buttermilk.
7. Keep stirring until the buttermilk just starts to bubble.
8. Switch off the flame immediately, season with salt and mix well.

Olan

A warm coconut-milk based stew made with Ash gourd and red beans, Olan is quite the delectable delight.

Tip: Use Ultra Mixer Grinder for quick and easy coconut milk extraction

250 Gram vellai poosanikai (ash gourd/white pumpkin) or yellow pumpkin, peeled, cut into chunks
1/4 Cup black eyed beans (lobia)
2 to 3 Green chillies slit lengthwise
250 ml coconut milk
Salt to taste
2 Sprig curry leaves
2 Teaspoons coconut oil

METHOD

1. Soak the beans in water for 2 to 3 hours and cook until soft.
2. Steam the ash gourd or the yellow pumpkin with salt, until soft and cooked completely.
3. Add the cooked gourd, beans, coconut milk, curry leaves and green chillies in a pan. Stir well and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Cook to your preferred consistency of gravy. Add coconut oil and simmer for a few more minutes.
5. Turn off the heat and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Beetroot Kichadi

Spiced yogurt with beetroot is a unique accompaniment to your rice and parippu. Try it and let the flavours blow your mind.

Beetroot grated – 1/2 cup
Green chilies sliced – 1
Grated coconut – 1/4 cup
Cumin seeds – 1 fat pinch
Yogurt – 3/4 to 1 cup
Mustard seeds – 1 pinch
Salt to taste

For tempering
Mustard seeds – 1/8 tsp
Dry red chilies cut it into two – 2
Shallots sliced – 2 or 3
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Coconut oil – as required

METHOD

1. Cook the beetroot with green chilies and sufficient water.
2. Grind the coconut using Ultra Mixer Grinder and cumin seeds to form a fine paste.
3. Add the paste to the beetroot and cook for a minute or two. Add salt to taste and switch off the stove.
4. Once it cools slightly, add yogurt and mix well.
5. Temper the mustard seeds, red chilies, shallots and curry leaves and saute until it turns golden brown.
6. Add this to the curry and mix well.

Pazham Pradhamam

The sweet end to a delectable Sadya. The pazham pradhamam is saved for the end and savoured by all.

3/4 Cup jaggery, powdered
1 Cup coconut milk (extracted from 1 coconut)
2 Cardamom pods powdered
1/2 Teaspoon ghee

Tip: For freshly grated coconut use Ultra Grinder

Ingredients for Ada
1/4 Cup rice flour
1/4 Cup hot water
Salt
1 Banana leaf
1/2 Teaspoon cooking oil for greasing

Ingredients for Garnish
10 Cashew nuts
1/4 Cup fresh coconut, finely chopped or thinly sliced
10 Raisins
1 Teaspoon ghee

METHOD

To make homemade rice ada:
1. Make dough from rice flour with a pinch of salt and boiling water.
2. Grease a banana leaf with oil and spread the rice dough into a thin layer on half of the
3. Banana leaf. Close the ada using the other side of the banana leaf.
4. Steam this for 10-15 minutes.
5. Once cool, remove the ada from the leaf and cut into smaller pieces to look flaky.

To make the payasam:
1. Roast cashews, coconut, and raisins in ghee till they are golden.
2. On medium heat, dissolve jaggery in 3/4 cup of water. Once dissolved, strain the resulting syrup and set aside.
3. In another saucepan, dry roast the chopped ada for 2-3 minutes and then add the jaggery syrup to it.
4. Let the ada cook in jaggery over low flame for 7-8 minutes or until the syrup thickens.
5. Add the cardamom powder, coconut milk and turn off the flame. Make sure not to cook after adding coconut milk.
6. Garnish with the fried cashews, coconut, and raisins.