Beetroot Pachadi & Cucumber Pachadi

This is yet another simple dish. It is an important elements of the sadya / the kerela feast because it has all the tastes like tanginess from the curd, crunch of the veges, bitterness of the mustard seeds, heat from the chilly!! Pachadi is a true south indian dish with variations found in every state. It can be made of any vegetable like okra, bitter guard, cucumber, yellow cucumber, onion, beetroot, tomato, mango etc but suprisingly every pachadi differs in taste because of the unique taste of the veges. The procedure however is same!!

Beetroot Pachadi:

Ingredients:

• 1 - Medium sized beetroot, skin peeled and grated
• 1 piece - ginger
• 1 - Green chilly
• salt to taste
• Water
• 1 cup - Thick Curd

Cucumber Pachadi:

Ingredients:

• 1 - Medium sized Cucumber(kheera), skin peeled and diced into small pieces or you may use Yellow cucumber(Kani vellarikka)
• 1 piece - ginger
• 1 - Green chilly
• Salt to taste
• Water
• 1 cup - Thick Curd

Procedure for Paste and Tadka for any pachadi is same

For paste:

• 1/2 cup - Grated coconut
• 1 pinch - Mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp - Cumin / Zeera
• 1 clove - Garlic
• 2-3 - Shallots

For Tadka:

• Oil
• 1/4 tsp - Mustard Seeds
• 1 sprig - Curry leaf
• 2-3 - Shallots, sliced
• 1 - Dry Red Chilly

Method:

• Cook beetroot /yellow cucumber / any veges you prefer with ginger, green chilly, salt and a (very) little water ,until it is soft and dry. If you are using cucumber(kheera) you need not cook as we consume it raw as well. So just need to mix all the ingredients into the diced cucumber and keep aside. If you are making pachadi of Okra or bitter gourd fry them in oil to make it crispy and crunch.
• Make a paste of all the ingredients to be ground and keep aside.
• Mix in the ground mixture to the veges and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the curd and salt if required and stir well.
• Heat oil in another pan and splutter the mustard seeds. Add in red chillies,curry leaves and shallots and fry them until golden. Add this to the pachadi and serve with rice