From chutneys to pickles, radish recipes add a punch of flavour

As the Indian monsoon retreats to make way for winter, root vegetables become ubiquitous. Mooli or radish reappears on weekly shopping lists and so does the need to find recipes beyond paratha. The sharp pungent flavour of radish pairs well with acidic foods like yogurt, tomatoes and tamarind in raitas, chutneys and pickles. Here’s a list of radish recipes that’ll add more flavour to your winter menu:

Kashmiri mooli ki chutney

With a generous sprinkling of mirch masala and whole green chillies, this chutney of shredded radish can be easily renamed as fire in the belly. It’s cooked with mustard oil, tempered with ginger and cloves—ingredients known to have heating properties—and mixed in with walnuts.

Mooli ka achaar

A simple cooked pickle recipe which pairs well with every kind of sabzi, dal and is guaranteed to perk up a simple meal of khichdi and papad. It won’t take more than 20 minutes to prepare this ultra versatile pickle.

Radish fritters

A perfect way to repurpose leftover grated radish is to turn them into tikkis, or fritters. It’s a recipe for mothers with picky eaters who turn up their noses at the mere mention of mooli. Trick them into eating radish by offering something fun, like fritters.

Radish raita

With just five ingredients and a tempering of curry leaves with whole spices, this Karnataka-style raita is known as moolangi mosaru bajji. Although it will work well with a fiery biryani, switch things up by serving it with nachos in the next house party.

Mullangi Pachadi

As chef Sanjay Thumma points out in the video, this pachadi can multitask as a chutney, pickle or sandwich spread. With roasted ground peanuts, coriander and channa dal, it’s packed with flavour and will take no more than 15 minutes to prepare. Serve it with dosas, idlis or garlic bread and pita.