Beetroot Bhat Moodh

My second entry for the kid's lunches event
by the mingling
What's for Lunch Honey & Cooking for all seasons.

If kids had their way they would love to live on just peppy and frooti! Stop that with a fortified rice that Kids will love. Most kids love color in their food and beetroot lends itself so well.

One day in Mumbai my nephew was visiting me. He came armed with a huge packet of some tomato fryums. I know it was not my sister's choice, it was Pranav's ofcourse! Kids almost always gift what they like to others. I rolled my eyes at him as he was handing over the packet to me. Later I got busy in the kitchen and after an hour I realized that there was little mouse that was doing the rounds in and out of the kitchen and the fryum packet was half by then. Just in time to catch him red handed I turned around. Angry me, "Pranav, what is this? Was this not supposed to be for me?" Sheepishly Pranav, "Yes I bought it for you! but it tastes so good just couldn't stop!!" Me trying to control my laughter and holding myself back from cuddling him at the wrong time I looked away. Then turning around with a straight face explained to him that those wafers were not good as they had ajinomoto (the salt used to give the tomato flavor) and it's carcinogenic effects.

Immediately Pranav's next question was, "Then what is good to eat and can counter cancer?" Ofcourse colorful vegetables.

Beetroot is something my nephew enjoys in sandwiches. We use it sometimes to color rotis and puris. So this time I tried this pink rice. I have used beets as natural block printing stamps too for cards Pranav and me have made together.

Block printing with beetroot:

To do this cut a beet at the equator to get a cross section. Then stamp it on white or light colored paper. Make creative patterns you like with the beet as a stamp. Dry the printed paper with a blow drier. Use it to make cards.

With that lets move on to the recipe. That's why you are here right?

Ingredients

1 cup rice
1/2 cup beetroot grated rough or chopped fine
1 handful cashew nuts
2 one inch sticks of cinnamon
6-8 cloves
10 peppercorns
1 tejpatta/ bayleaf
1 teaspoon udid dal/ black skinned lentil
2 green chilies mashed
1 tablespoon oil

Wash and drain the rice on a sieve. Leave it there for 1/2 hr.

Heat oil in a small pressure cooker. Add the spices and fry for just a few seconds till the aroma emanates, fry the cashews too for a few seconds. Add the green chilies, stir in the beets after this. I used some coarse grates and finely chopped beet. The coarse grate lend more color while the finely chopped pieces provide the texture and munch. Give all of it a stir and mix in the washed and drained rice. Cover with water enough to just cover the rice. Pressure cook for just one whistle. Let the cooker cool completely. Open it once steam subsides and mix the rice one time.

Scoop out small mounds onto a plate using either an icecream scoop or a tiny bowl and top with a cashew. This gives the name Beetroot Bhat Moodh. 'Moodh' is a mound in Marathi. It makes it easy for the kids to pick up with their little fingers and bite into it.

P.S:
Since this post is about kids, sharing here a story told by Channa to his daughter and a message for the adults for a new kind of discipline that we need to build in ourselves and the kids.