Amazing amaranth - Food fix

Amazing amaranth

Sometimes, the thought of dishing out a simple curry to go with rice can put you in quite a conundrum. What can one cook in such scenarios? Here are some easy recipes that you can make with one green leafy vegetable, amaranth.

Found in green and red varieties, and packed with a lot of protein, iron, fibre, Vitamins K, C and B6, riboflavin and calcium, amaranth is popularly used in South Indian cuisine. This green wonder can help lower cholesterol levels, prevent inflammation, boost immunity and aid weight loss as well.

A different dal

Ingredients: 4 cups green amaranth (washed and finely chopped), 1 cup toor dal, 5 tbsp oil, few curry leaves, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, asafoetida (a pinch), 1 tsp turmeric powder, 2 to 3  green chillies (finely chopped), salt to taste.

Method: In a pan, add sufficient water and boil the dal in it. Don’t use the cooker for this recipe. Drain the water and squeeze out the extra water from the dal. Store this water. At the end, you should have dal which is almost devoid of all water content. In a separate pan, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, curry leaves and asafoetida and let it splutter.

Then add the green chillies and turmeric. Now add the finely chopped green leaves. Fry it till it cooks and reduces in quantity. Now add the mashed dal and stir well. Add salt and cook on low heat till all the water evaporates and the curry is completely dry. Serve with hot rice and ghee.

No-sweat curry

Ingredients: 2 bunches green amaranth (washed and finely chopped), 2 tbsp oil, 3 tbsp chiroti rava, 1 tbsp besan, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, asafoetida (a pinch), 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tbsp red chilli powder, salt to taste.

Method: In a pan, heat oil. Add mustard and cumin seeds. Then add asafoetida, turmeric and the chopped leaves. Fry until it cooks. Then add rava, besan and red chilli powder. Add salt and mix well. Serve with rice.

Super sambar

Ingredients: 2 tbsp oil, 1 tsp mustard and cumin seeds, asafoetida pinch, few curry leaves, 2 tbsp cumin powder, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp turmeric powder, 4 to 5 green chillies (ground to a paste), 1 cup toor dal, 2 cups green amaranth (finely chopped), salt to taste.

Method: Cook the amaranth and dal along with turmeric and a splash of oil and water in the cooker. In a pan, heat oil, add mustard and cumin seeds along with turmeric and asafoetida. Add curry leaves and let them splutter. Then add the green chilli paste. Now add the boiled contents of the cooker. Remember to just blend the cooker contents once they are boiled. Now add salt, cumin powder and let it simmer on medium heat. When it reaches the desired consistency, take it off the heat and add lemon juice. Serve hot with rice or jowar rotis.
Note: You can also prepare the same dish replacing green chillies with red chilli powder and lemon juice with tamarind extract.