Beetroot, Will You Be My Valentine?

They say love comes in all shapes and sizes and isn’t necessarily limited to your life partner. But just like with humans, you need to love things which are good for you. You could love exercising, eating a certain kind of healthy meal or even fruit. For me, love came in the form of beetroot and for good reason as well.

Health Benefits of Beetroots

• Beetroots are known for their nutritional content consisting of Calcium, Iron, Potassium, Fiber, Manganese, Vitamin A and C – all the essentials that your body needs.
• Being rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, beetroots help in weight loss and fight inflammation.
• It has been found that nitrates present in a beetroot convert into nitric oxide, which in turn dilates blood vessels, hence lowering blood pressure.
• Beetroots aren’t boring! They can be consumed in a variety of ways by making it into juices, soups, salads, pickle, and smoothies.
• Prevents Heart diseases.
• Beetroots are the topmost choice for people with Diabetes as phytochemicals present in them are associated with regulating effects on glucose and insulin.
• Boosts Energy levels.
• When juiced, it is an all-natural detox drink.

Despite all these awesome benefits, there are many people who do not like the beetroot because of its bitter and earthy taste. I used to be one of them. I didn’t like the taste and completely avoided it in school. Later, when I graduated as a Nutritionist, I came across the super healthy beetroot again. Now, if as a nutritionist who knows its health benefits, I had my qualms about consuming beetroots, imagine others. How can one incorporate it in their daily diet? This made me come up with some awesome recipes which can make consuming a beetroot far more interesting.

Healthy Recipes With a Beetroot

The most common way to have them is raw by sprinkling pink Himalayan salt and a dash of lemon but there are other ways as well.

1. The Beetroot Pickle  

What you will need:  

• Beetroot – 1kg
• Coriander Seeds – 2 tbsp
• Kalonji – ½ tbsp
• Amchoor Powder – 1 tbsp
• Cumin Seeds – 1
• Olive Oil – 1 tbsp
• Mustard Oil – 100 ml
• Salt to taste

How to Prepare:

1. Peel beetroots, wash and cut them into small pieces of about 2 inches.
2. Take a pan, put 1tbsp olive oil in it along with cut pieces of beetroot and roast them till they are tender.
3. In another pan, roast all the other ingredients till you get that awesome aroma. Keep aside and let it cool down.
4. Grind all the roasted ingredients but do not turn them into fine powder.
5. Take a bowl, put beetroots and grinded spices all together and mix well. Store it in a glass jar by adding mustard oil and keep it in sunlight for the next 2-4 days. Your pickle is ready.

 2. Beetroot Kebabs

What You Will Need:

• Beetroot – ½
• Oats Powder – 1 cup
• Red Chilly Powder – 1 cup
• Coriander Powder – ½ tbsp
• Black Pepper Powder – ½ tbsp
• Garam Masala – ½ tbsp
• Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tbsp
• Onion – 1 chopped into small pieces.
• Green chillies (optional)
• Coriander leaves

How to Prepare:               

3. Peel and grate the beetroot and squeeze the water out from it.
4. Take a bowl, put oats powder, beetroot, and all other ingredients mentioned above and mash them well.
5. Take a frying pan and fill half the pan with oil
6. Make tikkis of the batter and shallow fry them on a low to medium flame.
7. Serve them hot with paratha/ roti.

3. Beetroot Veggie Uttapam

What you will need:

• Beetroot – 1 small
• Fine Semolina – 1 cup
• Onion – 1 small finely chopped
• Tomato – 1 small finely chopped
• Capsicum – 1 small finely chopped (yellow and green)
• Curd – 1 cup
• Green chillies (optional)
• Salt to taste

How to Prepare:

1. Peel the beetroot and grind it into a thin paste.
2. In a bowl, mix the semolina, curd, salt, chillies and beetroot paste.
3. Let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
4. Take a non-stick pan, put a few drops of oil and gently spread the batter with a help of a katori or round spoon.
5. Sprinkle the chopped onion, tomato, capsicum and green chilies.
6. Cover it with a lid and let it cook on low flame for about 1 minute.
7. Flip it to the other side and cook well.
8. Serve hot with green chutney.

As a proposal to good health, we request you to level up your kitchen by adding beetroots to it for Valentine’s Day. Hope you enjoyed reading the article. Share the love in the comments below! For more healthy recipes and nutrition facts, check out Healthy Reads or GOQii Play, both within the GOQii App. 

#BeTheForce .