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Celebrating Earth Day with Underground Vegetables

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earth day vegetables

By Dr.Hemapriya, Mylittlemoppet_

When we talk about nutrition, we often hear experts focusing on eating our greens – in fact, we first heard this from the first expert in our lives – our mothers! However, this focus on what’s growing above the ground may lead us to sometimes underestimate what’s lying below – underground vegetables!

Underground vegetables are also called root vegetables, although this may not be accurate. Some vegetables like onions are bulbs, turmeric and ginger are rhizomes, beets, and carrots are tap roots and potatoes are tubers. This part of the plant absorbs water and nutrients from the soil and provides it to the rest of the plant. This goes on to show how nutrient-rich these vegetables are!

Unfortunately, many of these vegetables don’t get the limelight they deserve or are prepared in unhealthy ways.

Celebrating Earth Day with Underground Vegetables

This Monday, April 22 is Earth Day, an annual event to support environmental protection. To highlight the significance we attempt to fix this by featuring the top healthiest underground vegetables available, along with delicious, healthy ways to eat them!

1. Potatoes

Potatoes are the most well-known among root vegetables, and the one most babies eat first. Being easily available and cheap, they are the perfect way to add bulk to your diet. Potatoes are rich in fiber as well as nutrients like potassium, manganese, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin C. Cooked potatoes also contain resistant starch that helps improve gut health. 

Cheesy Potato Bites

Ingredients:

Instructions:

  1. Boil the potatoes. Peel and mash them well.
  2. Add the sooji to the mashed potatoes along with garam masala and pepper.
  3. Mix well to form a dough.
  4. Take a small portion of the dough and form a cup shape.
  5. Place some cheese into the cup and roll so that you get a ball. 
  6. Roll the balls in breadcrumbs and deep fry on a medium flame.

2. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a common snack in Indian households and are soon being used in more ‘mainstream’ curries and dishes. Sweet potatoes are chock full of nutrients like manganese, Vitamins A and C, fiber as well as lots of antioxidants. Together they help improve immunity, vision, and skin health. Sweet potatoes are also great for reducing blood sugar in diabetics.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Line a large baking sheet with foil and grease it lightly.
  2. Soak the cut potatoes in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry with a paper towel.
  3. Place the sweet potato batons in a large bowl and toss them with rice flour.
  4. Sieve the potatoes to get rid of extra flour. Discard the extra flour from the mixing bowl too.
  5. Place potatoes back into the bowl and add the olive oil and the seasonings – salt, ginger powder, red chili powder paprika and coriander powder. Toss to combine so all the pieces are evenly coated.
  6. Arrange the potatoes on the baking sheet in a single layer, leaving enough space in between.
  7. Bake the sweet potato for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip. Place back into the oven for 15 more minutes. 

3. Beetroots

Beetroots aren’t just popular for their gorgeous color, they’re also incredibly nutritious! Like other root vegetables, beetroots are rich in fiber, but they also contain folate, manganese and nitrates which lower blood pressure and improve heart health. Beetroots also improve brain function and may also slow the growth of cancer cells.

Beetroot Applesauce Dip

Ingredients:

Instructions:

  1. Peel, core, and chop the apples. You can use any variety of apples, but the juicier the better.
  2. Peel the beetroot and chop it into small pieces. For a pink sauce, use a quarter of a beetroot, and for a strong red, go for half.
  3. Put the chopped apple and beetroot along with the other ingredients into a saucepan. Heat on a low-medium flame for 30-45 minutes, stirring frequently.
  4. Let the cooked mixture cool a little before blending it to a smooth puree. Alternatively, you can keep it lumpier by smashing the apple and beetroot pieces lightly.
  5. Transfer the sauce to a jar and store it in the fridge for up to two weeks.

4. Carrots

We’ve all grown up hearing that carrots are good for our eyes, and that has some truth to it. While that may not be why rabbits don’t wear glasses, carrots are known for their Vitamins A and K. Another important nutrient in carrots is the antioxidant beta-carotene which lowers cholesterol, reduces cancer risk, and protects against age-related macular degeneration.

Spiced Carrot Walnut Muffins

Ingredients:

Instructions:

  1. Soak the dates in a cup of hot milk for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375 F or 180 C and line a 12-cup Muffin tin with silicone or paper liner. Reserve some of the grated carrots and chopped nuts for garnish.
  3. In a large bowl sift together the Whole Wheat Flour, Almond Flour, Baking Soda, Cinnamon Powder, Ground Ginger, and a pinch of Sea Salt.
  4. Add the grated carrots to the sifted flour and mix till the carrots are coated with the flour mixture.
  5. In a blender or food processor, puree the soaked dates along with the milk used for soaking. Add the oil, vinegar, applesauce, or grated apples and blend again.
  6. Add the date puree to the flour-carrot mix and mix gently, till the dry ingredients are just moistened.
  7. Add the chopped walnuts and fold it in.
  8. Divide the batter into the prepared 12-cup muffin pan, filling up to half of the cavity. Top with the reserved carrots and nuts.
  9. Bake at 375 F (or 180 C) for 25 minutes or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out dry.
  10. Remove from the oven and let the muffins cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Take them out from the pan onto a cooling rack and let them cool completely.

5. Radish

Radishes are a powerhouse of nutrition and are also great for weight watchers since they are low in carbohydrates. They are packed with Vitamin C, which has important antioxidant function. Radishes can also protect against stomach ulcers and fungal infections.

Radish Raita

Ingredients:

Instructions:

  1. Beat the curd with salt and cumin powder so it is completely smooth. 
  2. Mix in the grated radish and chopped green chili. 
  3. Garnish with coriander leaves.

6. Turnips

Turnips aren’t commonly used in Indian homes, mainly because we aren’t sure how to prepare them! Turnips are rich in a variety of nutrients like potassium, manganese, fiber, and loads of antioxidants. Because of these turnips are known to improve immunity, reduce the intensity of respiratory illness, and lower the risk of certain cancers.

Creamy Turnip Soup

Ingredients:

Instructions

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