During my growing up years, I would invariably get stuck in trying to fathom the possible reason behind calling a white coloured vegetable as radish and its similar looking but reddish cousin as carrot. Though during the journey of walking this earth over intervening decades, I did come across red radish too but by then the issue had become a non-issue! But yes, irrespective of the cloud in mind or otherwise, winters always brought in, along with cauliflowers and lots of leafy vegetables, fresh peas and carrots. Individually as well as collectively, each of such vegetable has its own use but the combo of peas-carrot, mutter-gajar, as a vegetable makes a good dish that is convenient to make, good to look at and has a typical sweetish tinge unless flavours are intentionally tinkered with. While many would love it, I had, during the course of my childhood, had probably starting looking at the dish as something that had to be had for the sake of having. Yes, I would eat everything and all my meals would always be eaten off a biggish platter that me and my disciplinarian dad shared meal after meal. As a result of such a dining arrangement, I could never develop the notion that one had a choice of eating what one would really like to eat. While I ate everything, I did develop own little preferences. Mutter-gajar was good, pretty enjoyable at the beginning of the season but as the winters got harsher, one tended to get fed up a bit. Yes, we didn't have the luxury of 365 days' availability of almost all the vegetables back then. As I look back, now that these two vegetables have entered my kitchen at this point of time again, I can guess that it was that sweetness that would probably put me off a bit during repeated consumptions during those days. Put off, yes but as I said, I ate everything nonetheless!
A little kitchen garden in the backyard looks innocuous but output is too much for a small family. While one may distribute and share the organic stuff, one cannot just look other way when fresh ones land up in the basket. Gajar ka Halwa could wait and I decided to experiment a bit with the dish this time. I decided to introduce a new character to the life of happily married couple of mutter and gajar, green peas and carrot, that is. The new guy also vindicated my trauma of childhood confusion and so, it was - Mr Radish! Fresh radish from own garden, however, is not as pungent or stinging as the one available in the market. By itself, it would not be able to break the sweet marriage and it needed some support, I supposed. In the end, it turned out to be good one..... a not too sweet but a slightly tangy combo of mutter-mooli-gajar (or peas-radish-carrot). It retains goodness of all three vegetables while making it more friendly for my spice loving taste buds.
Ingredients
Mutter (peeled) - 1/2 cup.
Carrot, finely chopped - 1/2 cup.
Radish, finely chopped - 01 cup. The ratio of m:c:r=1;1;2 helps radish overcome sweetness to a large extent.
Tomato, medium sized - 02.
Green chillies - 06.
Ginger, finely chopped -01 inch.
Coriander fresh - 06 twigs.
Dried chillies - 04.
Black pepper whole - 10
Cloves - 04
Salt to taste.
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon.
Curry leaves - 10-12.
Oil- 01 Tablespoon.
Turmeric powder - 01 teaspoon.
Water - 1/2 cup.
Fresh coriander for garnishing.
Steps
1. Blend green chillies, ginger, coriander leaves in a blender till a chutney like fluid is obtained.
2. Roughly mix and grind pepper, cloves and seeds of dried chillies. Chop dried chillies' shells.
3. In a pan, heat the oil and add mustard seeds. Once these begin to splutter, add curry leaves and ginger. Stir and add roughly ground spices and turmeric powder.
4. Add tomato pieces and crush the pieces while stirring for a couple of minutes.
5. Add cut vegetables and stir. Add a little water and mix well. Cover and let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Add green chutney and salt and stir. Cook covered for another five minutes, stirring occasionally till water is almost dried up.
7. Garnish as you like,
The End Product
(No garnish used; in fact, had none left!)
Note:- The end product, courtesy some sharp spices and good amount of radish, has a balanced flavour. With the option to add/reduce chillies, both green and red, one can play around with the overall taste a bit. Even if one opts for not too hot a version by cutting down on chillies, spices and a bit of overwhelming quantity of radish, together, would balance out the sweetness!
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