Vegetables are staple in Indian cuisine. There is a wide variety of options available in the market along with local and seasonal greens. An ideal Indian thali never has less than two varieties of veggies which are prepared with various spices that gives delicious savoury flavour to the meal. And there are also so many interesting ways these veggies are cooked across India. But these healthy foods are so versatile that they can be even converted into desserts. The best example is parwal mithai, a popular North-Indian dessert made from pointed gourd commonly known as parwal in India. Pumpkin, bottle gourd and carrot are other common vegetables that are enjoyed as desserts as well as snacks. Turnip is another versatile vegetable that can be added into the meal in various ways such pickles, soups and salads.
This ivory vegetable has an excellent nutrient profile, packed with vitamins (C, A, K) and antioxidants along with being low in carbs. Due to this, they are considered good for weight management and bone health. According to Healthline, they also have anti-inflammatory effects that make it beneficial for chronic diseases like arthritis. But most of the time, people, especially kids, do not like eating turnips.
If you're kids are fussy about eating turnips too, here are four interesting ways to include it in your diet:
1. Turnip Savoury Cake
Ingredients:
- 375 gm rice flour
- 160 gm wheat starch
- 75 gm potato starch
- 675 ml water
- 20 gm salt
- 40 gm seasoning
- 80 gm sugar
- 200 gm carrot
- 1 kg turnip
- 150 gm mushroom
- 1 L hot water
- Fried onions for garnishing
Method:
- Peel and chop carrots and turnip, then blanch them till soft.
- Soak mushrooms in hot water for at least two hours then squeeze out the water.
- Cut the mushrooms into dice and toss them in a hot pan for two minutes.
- Mix rice flour, potato starch, wheat starch, salt, sugar and water (675 ml) together till it becomes smooth and a light batter.
- Then add the veggies and mix well
- Add hot water to this mixture and mix again.
- Oil the surface of the cake tin and place butter paper on it.
- Then add the mixture in the tin and steam it for an hour.
- Once cooked allow it cool for atleast two hours, brush oil over the surface and refrigerate overnight.
- De-mould the cake and cut into small squares then fry them till golden.
- At last, arrange it into a pyramid and garnish with finely chopped fried onions and serve.
2. Turnip Pie
Ingredients:
- 8 large turnips (tops removed)
- 1 pie dough crust (refrigerated)
- 3 eggs (beaten)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 cup buttermilk
Method:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F, line a nine-inch pie dish with pie crust and set aside.
- Place turnips whole in a baking dish add a small amount of water to the dish and cover the dish with aluminum foil.
- Bake them for approximately thirty minutes, until the turnips are fork tender.
- Then mash them slightly and add in a blender along with eggs, sugar, salt, buttermilk, spices and blend at high speed until completely pureed.
- Pour mixture into prepared pie crust and bake for ten minutes at 450°F.
- Then reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake for another forty to fifty minutes.
Serve with whipped cream and enjoy.
3. Turnip Cutlet
Ingredients:
- 1 kg turnip
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
- ghee or oil for frying
Method:
- Boil turnip in water till soft and cool.
- Squeeze out as much water as you can from the turnip and then mash it.
- Then mix ginger garlic paste and all the dry spices and mix well.
- Distribute the dough in eight balls and flatten while smoothing the edges in round or oval shape.
- Heat ghee or oil for shallow frying in a pan and cook the cutlets on low heat on both sides till browned.
Serve with chutney or ketchup.
4. Turnip Fries
Ingredients:
- 2 turnips (peeled and cut into fries)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- Salt and pepper
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or cooking spray.
- Toss the turnips with olive oil, chilli flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Place one layer on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, flipping after ten minutes until nice and crispy.
Serve with ketchup or chutney of your choice.
