7 Desi Broccoli Recipes That Will Win Hearts At Family Dinners!

Broccoli, the edible green plant from the cabbage family, is a rich source of vitamin C and vitamin K. This keto-friendly vegetable has made its way into our pastas and salads, but it’s time to “desify” this foreign cousin of the cauliflower. Blandness isn’t our thing, so, here are 7 ways to use broccoli in the Indian kitchen.

 Broccoli Stir-Fry:

Just add broccoli, along with almost any vegetable lying around your house, to a frying pan. Some great additions are bell peppers, capsicum, corn, and carrots. Toss and fry them using any oil of your choice; you could try olive oil to make the dish even more healthy. Add some seasonings like chili flakes, salt, pepper, and salad seasoning as desired, and there you have it! Delicious stir-fry made in just minutes 

Broccoli 65 or Broccoli Fritters:

This delicious South Indian appetizer made with flour, corn starch, and a few spices got its name from chicken 65. Chicken 65 was coined by a hotelier who denoted that 65 chilies were used for every kilogram of chicken to prepare the dish. This dish is super easy to prepare. Just add equal amounts of all-purpose flour and corn starch and spices like chilli powder, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Add water to this mixture until you get a medium-thick consistency. Add your broccoli to this mixture and deep fry until golden brown and crisp on medium heat.

Tandoori Broccoli Tikka:

This fusion appetizer is prepared by marinating broccoli in a spicy yogurt-based marinade and grilling it in an air fryer or oven. Add bite-sized blanched broccoli to a marinade made by combining hung curd, besan, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala, chaat masala, kasuri methi, lemon juice, and salt. Cook these coated broccoli pieces in the oven or air fryer and serve hot with some tangy yogurt chutney!

Broccoli-Spinach Soup: 

If healthy soups are your thing, then this recipe is for you! Just melt butter in a saucepan and add minced garlic and onions, then sauté till the onions are soft and translucent. Add broccoli and sauté. Now add water or vegetable broth and mix everything till the broccoli turns tender. Then add the spinach, milk, cheese, salt, and pepper, and simmer till the spinach turns soft. Finally, after the mixture has cooled down, blend it smooth using an immersion blender or hand blender and enjoy!

Broccoli Paneer Sandwich:

This tiffin-friendly recipe is super quick and easy to make. Just stir fry some grated paneer and broccoli in some basic spices like jeera, turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt, garam masala, and some ginger-garlic paste, along with tomatoes and lime juice. Then take this mixture, spread it between two slices of bread, and toast the sandwich over a pan using butter until it turns golden brown on both sides.

Broccoli Sabzi: 

Broccoli cannot be truly "desified" until it is incorporated into a sabzi. This recipe is essentially a broccoli stir-fry with chickpea flour, garlic, and a few other spices. Combine chickpea flour or besan, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, dry mango powder, garam masala, and salt in a big bowl. Now, evenly distribute this mixture over the broccoli that has been sautéed in oil with cumin seeds, garlic, and green chilies. Close the lid and cook for a few minutes until the raw smell of besan disappears. A side tip is to sprinkle some water occasionally to moisten the besan flour. Finally, add some lime juice and serve with either roti or as a side dish with some rice.

Broccoli Raita:

Last but certainly not least is everyone’s favorite accompaniment to any meal—Raita! This yogurt dip can be prepared in just minutes by combining yogurt with sautéed broccoli and some basic spices. For the sautéed broccoli, heat up some oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Then add green chilies and sauté for a few seconds. Now add the chopped broccoli and salt and cook for another few minutes, until the broccoli is well cooked. Then whisk the yogurt, and add this mixture along with some salt. Adjust the spice amounts as needed. And there you have it! The perfect pairing for your biryani is ready!

Even a relatively staid vegetable like broccoli can be turned into something sumptuous and mouth-watering using our cooking skills and spices. So, the next time you see a "boring" bag of broccoli, try using these tips and recipes to create the most delicious meal that will surely win everyone's hearts (and stomachs!).