Beetroot Leaves Dal - Masoor Dal Recipe with Beet Leaves - Edible Garden (2024)
6 Comments
Learn how to use beetroot leaves in cooking this simple masoor dal recipe that’s a great side dish for roti, chapati, and pulao. Wondering if beetroot leaves are edible and if you can use them in cooking? Yes, you can! Check out this easy recipe with beetroot leaves and make a great vegetarian dish that’s healthy too!
Pin
Sydney has a lot of great fresh product markets and I am lucky enough to live close to Orange Grove Markets which is a great Saturday morning farmers market that primarily focuses on fresh organic produce and food. The first time I visited, I went crazy buying all the organic greens I could find. I also bought a bunch of gorgeous beetroots with their leaves still fresh and intact. They were dug up the previous day so even the mud on the roots was still moist!
Pin
I had never seen beets so fresh let alone with their leaves and roots intact so I was determined to put the bunch to good use. I knew beet leaves were edible but had no idea what to cook with beetroot leaves so a simple dal seemed to the best idea. Can’t go wrong with that!
While fresh green beetroot leaves are definitely edible and great to cook with, cleaning it does take some extra effort. Since they were organic, I wasn’t worried about washing away the chemicals and pesticides but there is a lot of mud towards the bottom of the stem and that needs careful cleaning because, really, no one likes extra sandy texture in their dals 🙂 Since I had a lot of greens, I made a thick sabzi-like dal with less masoor dal and more greens. You can adapt the consistency to your preference and make it more watery too. Treat beetroot leaves just like spinach when you cook with them, I am sure they taste great in other recipes if you substitute them for spinach.
Pin
Paired with a simple pulao, beetroot leaves dal made a fabulous side dish for lunch that Saturday.
INGREDIENTS: 6 cups of packed chopped beetroot leaves 3/4 cup of masoor dal (red lentils) 1/2 cup of chopped tomatoes 1 tbsp of oil 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds 1 tsp of minced garlic or garlic paste A pinch of asafoetida (hing) 1 tsp of red chilli powder 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder 1 tsp of garam masala (optional) 1 tsp of ghee (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. First we need to clean the beetroot leaves. Chop off the beets from the stems using a sharp knife.
2. Chop up the stems and leaves coarsely. You will end up with a mound of chopped greens.
Pin
3. Transfer this to a large bowl with water. The water should be enough to completely cover the beet leaves and for them to float, so use a large enoug bowl. . Gently agitate the chopped leaves with your fingers, giving it a good swish in the water. Let it sit for 5 mins or so.
Pin
4. Gently take fistfuls of the beet leaves and transfer to another bowl. Continue to skim the leaves away and move to another bowl, squeezing out the water as you do this.
Pin
5. You’ll be left with a good amount of mud at the bottom once all the leaves are out and you drain the water. Repeat the above steps until the water runs clear, I had to do it thrice. Set the beet leaves in a colander to drain out the water as you proceed to make the dal.
Pin
6. Heat a large pan and add the oil, cumin, and garlic. Roast for a minute and then the hing, give it 5 mins and then the tomatoes.
Pin
7. Once the tomatoes turn a bit soft, add the washed beet leaves.
Pin
8. Top this up with washed and rinsed masoor dal, turmeric, chilli powder, and some salt. Add 2 cups of water to this.
Pin
9. Mix well and cook covered on low flame for about 10-12 mins or until the dal is cooked soft and mushy.
Pin
Masoor dal takes little time to cook, that’s why I chose it to make this dish with it. Add more salt if required and adjust the water to your preferred consistency. These measurements will give you a thick-ish dal with more greens than dal. Add the ghee and garam masala if you are using them and give it another good stir. Remove from fire.
Pin
Serve masoor dal with beetroot leaves with jeera pulao or chapatis for a delicious and healthy meal.
Edited to add: some readers have shared that washing the leaves whole is easier and preserves more nutrition. On the nutrition part, I concur since I am no expert on nutrition beyond the basic stuff born out of common sense. On the ease part, I wash spinach and pretty much all other leaves whole but with beet leaves, I wasn’t able to get all the mud and sand out the first time I tried that and ended up biting into sand in a sabzi I made. This method was more effective. Use your discretion, folks 🙂
Use beet leaves to make pesto! Either on their own, kind of like what I do with my kale pesto recipe, or just add them to classic basil pesto for an earthy flavor. Use them in a rice casserole. Throw them into soups and stews.
These are very tiny, shiny black beetles that chew holes in the foliage of your beets ( as well as spinach and other leafy vegetables). They can actually cause your beet greens to wilt and die if they are not kept in check. Prevention is the best but by covering your crops with a floating recover.
Beet greens have oodles of nutritional value, from fiber and protein to vitamins C, K, and B9. You can eat beet greens raw or cooked. No matter how you choose to chow down, you could enjoy health perks like a stronger immune system, healthier teeth, and a healthier digestive tract.
The disease appears as small (2 – 3 mm) round grey spots with reddish margins. Under humid conditions and with the use of a hand lens, black spots (spore producing structures) can be seen in the centre of the lesions, which helps to distinguish it from Ramularia.
The leaves and roots of beets are packed with nutrition, including antioxidants that fight cell damage and reduce the risk of heart disease. They're one of the few vegetables that contain betalains, a powerful antioxidant that gives beets their vibrant color.
The adult mangold flies are up to 7 mm long with greyish/brown bodies. The maggots (referred to as 'beet leaf miners') are legless, without clearly defined heads and are 6-7 mm long with semi-transparent bodies which are predominantly white in colour.
As the grounds break down, they will release potassium, nitrogen, magnesium and other beneficial minerals into the soil. Coffee grounds also lower the soil's pH which is beneficial for some types of plants, like artichokes, broccoli, lima beans and beets.
While the beets attached to degrading leaves are fine to eat, the leaves are much more perishable. Wilted greens can be revived easily by being submerged in a large bowl of cool water (just soak them for a couple of hours until they have perked up), but know that leaves with slime cannot be saved.
If you're purchasing fresh beets and the greens are still attached, there's a slew of ways you can enjoy them without cooking. Here are a few of our favorite ways to eat raw beet greens.
Beet greens have a similar colorful look as swiss chard and can be consumed in much of the same way. They also are very high in iron with a higher iron count than spinach as well as vitamin K, B6, magnesium and potassium.They are also a great source of fiber.
Beets are the taproot portion of a beet plant; in British English, it is known as beetroot. It is one of several cultivated varieties of Beta vulgaris grown for their edible taproots and leaves (called beet greens); they are commonly available in red or golden varieties.
Beetroot and its juice help your heart and lungs work better during exercise. Nitric oxide from beets increases blood flow to your muscles. Some athletes eat beetroot or drink beet juice when exercising to improve their performance. Beets are rich in folate (vitamin B9), which helps cells grow and function.
Address: Suite 490 606 Hammes Ferry, Carterhaven, IL 62290
Phone: +8557035444877
Job: Forward IT Agent
Hobby: Fishing, Flying, Jewelry making, Digital arts, Sand art, Parkour, tabletop games
Introduction: My name is Otha Schamberger, I am a vast, good, healthy, cheerful, energetic, gorgeous, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
Pin 
Pin 
Pin 
Pin 
Pin 
Pin 
Pin 
Pin 
Pin 
Pin 
Pin 
Pin 
Pin 