From October onwards, as autumn rolls in, radishes become more and more easily available across India. From long and white radishes to round ones with a pink exterior, autumn and winter months witness the flooding of Indian kitchens with plenty of mooli dishes. Known for its pungent smell and sharp taste, Indian mooli is used to not only known for its nutrient-dense content but also for the way it adds flavours to simple dishes of the season.
Like most vegetables, mooli or radishes are rich in water, vitamins, dietary fibre, minerals and antioxidants. This makes radishes an essential part of most Indians’ food habits during autumn and winter months. In fact, radishes are so easy to eat that you just need to peel them up and slice them to enjoy them in salads. However, when it comes to Indian cuisine, radishes are not limited to only raw salads.
Instead, radish or mooli is used by people across the regions of India to cook up a variety of dishes, especially savoury ones. It must be added here that it is common practice in India to not only eat mooli but also consume the radish greens or leaves as a part of these very same dishes. Here are all the Indian regional mooli dishes you should try out this autumn season.
Video Credit: YouTube/Hebbars Kitchen
Mooli Paratha
A favourite across most Punjabi and North Indian households, Mooli Paratha is a quite the delicacy in places like Delhi as well. Grated radishes are mixed with salt and the water is drained out of them. Then the radish is mixed with chillies, coriander leaves and spices and stuffed into a paratha dough. Fried in ghee and serve with pickles, this is a breakfast dish you shouldn’t miss.
Mooli Ki Sabji
A popular dish in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, this simple Mooli Ki Sabji is prepared by cooking radish chunks in a spicy gravy. The radishes are sauteed in a gravy base of onions, tomatoes, cumin seeds, powdered spices and garam masala, and then water is added to make a light gravy. This one pairs really well with rotis and phulkas.
Mulo Shaak
In Bengal, radishes are turned into a simple and dry dish during the autumn and winter months called Mulo Shaak. The radish greens or leaves are washed and chopped up along with the radish stems and roots, making this a no-waste recipe. The ingredients are then tempered with panch phoron and cooked with mild spices like turmeric, cumin seeds and ginger paste.
Mullangi Kura
Originating in Andhra Pradesh, this dish is very popular in Telangana and parts of Karnataka too. Essentially a stir-fried radish dish, Mullangi Kura calls for finely chopped radishes to be cooked in a tempering of curry leaves, urad dal, chana dal, asafoetida, which is then mixed with turmeric and other spices. The addition of grated coconut to this dish makes it very special indeed.
Mulyachi Bhaji
Popular in both Maharashtra and Goa, Mulyachi Bhaji is a simple stir fry of radishes and enjoyed with jowar bhakris as well as rotis. The dish is prepared by chopping up radish leaves and roots and cooking them in a mildly spiced mix of onions, green chillies, moong dal, salt, coconut and jaggery. In some parts of these regions, people also add turmeric and red chilli to this dish.
Mooli Muthiya
This popular Gujarati snack is made with a number of seasonal vegetables, and come autumn, mooli becomes an obvious choice for Muthiya preparations. Grated radish is added to a mix of whole wheat flour, turmeric, ginger, red chilli powder and green chillies. The dough is then shaped into cylinders and steamed. The steamed Mooli Muthiya is then tempered with asafoetida, curry leaves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and sesame seeds.
Mula Khatta
A unique dish from the state of Odisha, Mula Khatta is known for its slightly tangy and delicious tomato-based gravy. The dish is prepared by cooking down tomatoes with curry leaves, asafaoetida and mild spices like turmeric powder until they turn into a paste. Mustard paste and yoghurt are then added to it and so are boiled radishes. Mula Khatta is usually enjoyed with plain rice.
Mullangi Kuzhambu
This simple yet delicious curry from Tamil Nadu is known for its sublime flavours and deep, rich gravy which is perfectly suited for autumn weather. Chopped radishes are cooked with onions, tomatoes, curry leaves and spices like asafoetida, turmeric, red chillies, etc. Tamarind water is then added to the mix to create a soupy gravy that goes really well with plain rice.