Beetroot and Carrot Smoothie

Smoothies can be a great way of losing weight given that one picks up the right ingredients. And all those bovine sympathizers, rest assured that even the vegan ones are quite delicious. This is one such example. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation time - 5 mins

Ingredients -

• 1/2 cup peeled and cubed beetroot
• 1/2 cup peeled and cubed carrot
• 1 tsp basil seeds (sabza)
• 1/2 tsp honey
• 2 pinch cinnamon powder
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Preparation - Take the beetroot and carrot cubes in a blender along with the powdered cinnamon, honey and 1/3 rd of the orange juice. Blend into a smooth puree.

Pour it into a glass. Dilute with more orange juice to get desired consistency.

Sprinkle the basil seeds on top. Serve immediately or chilled for 10-15 mins.

DO not store overnight.

Beetroot Raita (Detox Mondays)

Though beetroot is one of the healthiest vegetables known to us, some people avoid it owning to the rather strong and distinct flavor it has. Same is the case with my in-laws who otherwise have quite healthy eating habits. While it can be a bit overwhelming in the raw form, adding to the curries and stir fries tends to tone it down and make it more palatable. However, if you still want to have it raw despite being unable to stand it (believe me there are quite a bit of people who fall in that group), you can add it to raita, lassi or even smoothies. Curd seems to enhance the natural flavor of beetroot and I am quite in love with this combination.
( A small tip though. Try using grated beetroot instead of pureeing it as it gives a better taste. )

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 5 mins

Ingredients -


1 medium sized beetroot
1 cup fresh yogurt
1 green chilli (crushed)
salt to taste
fresh coriander for garnishing

To roast and make a powder -

1 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
2 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
1 dry red chilli

Preparation - Wash and peel the beetroot. Grate it and keep aside.

Beat the yogurt lightly.

Cooking - Heat a pan. Add the seeds and broken red chilli. Allow seeds to start popping before removing from flame. Once cooled, make a fine powder using a spice blender or even a regular mixie.

Take the beetroot, yogurt , green chilli and 1/2 tsp of the above powder in a mixing bowl. Add salt to taste and adjust the water. Mix thoroughly.

Serve immediately or chill it for 20 mins in the fridge.

Garnish with coriander and serve with rice, rotis or paratha.