Beetroot and Kadalai Thoran - Beetroot and Black Chick Pea Dry Curry

BEETROOT AND KADALAI THORAN

Beetroot was taboo in our kitchen during our childhood days. May be the bright red colour put off the elders who cooked for the family. Now a days I use beetroot to prepare Porial/Thoran, Halwa, Salad (kosumalli), Thair Pachadi, Cutlets and even Adais! I still have a mind block when it comes to preparing Beetroot and Green gram dal  Koottu which is my sister-in-law's favourute. I instantaneously fell for the Beetroot and Black Chana/Kadalai curry that I relished at a restaurant and now it has become one of the regular  menu items at home.

INGREDIENTS

Beetroot - 2 big ones

Black Chick Peas / Kadalai /Black Chana - 1cup ( soak overnight)

Salt - 1 tsp

Sesame oil or Coconut oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Black gram dal - 1 tsp

Red chillies (broken) - 2

Curry leaves - a few

Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Finely chopped onion - 2 tbsps

Fresh grated coconut - 4 tbsps

METHOD

1. Drain the soaked Black Chick Peas/Kadalai, sprinkle a handful of fresh water and keep it in a separator in the pressure cooker.

2. Thoroughly wash and cut the Beetroots into half and place them in another separator, and set it on top of the previous separator with Kadalai.

3. Pressure cook until three whistles, switch off flame and allow it to cool.

4. Peel the pressure cooked Beets and chop them into small cubes.

5. Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds.

6. When the mustard seeds splutter add black gram dal and fry till it turns into a golden colour.

7. Add asafoetida and broken red chillies followed by curry leaves and finely chopped onion.

8.When the onion turns glassy add the chopped beet root and the pressure cooked Chick Peas/Kadalai.

9. Add salt and stir and cook till all the water evaporates

10. Garnish the dry Thoran with grated coconut.

Include the delicious Beetroot and Kadalai Thoran in your happy Onam Sadhya.