Iron Rich Poha Beetroot Cutlet

A woman's body is prone to iron  & calcium deficiency which lead to serious health hazards later. Iron deficiency, especially after child birth, complicates lot of things. Failing to compensate the low levels may lead to hair fall, brittle nails, fatigue, paleness in skin and much more. Anemic women face trouble in keeping energy levels intact which adversely effects their social, economic status. Why wait for the consequence to take a toll when little changes in food habits can do the job? In association with livogen.in, here is an attempt to create iron rich recipes for women and help fight anemia. 

I love having poha for breakfast and keep giving twists to it for interesting recipes. Hereby, presenting tikki or cutlets made with poha, beetroot and potatoes.

Health goodness
Beaten rice or rice flakes, also called poha is a rich source of iron. Every 100 grams of raw rice flakes has 20 milligrams of iron besides a good value of carbs and minerals. Experts suggest that regular consumption of flattened rice can prevent iron deficiency and form hemoglobin that carries oxygen to blood cells. Beetroots are also iron rich and proven extremely beneficial in case of anemia or low hemoglobin.. 

                          

 

Ingredients

1. Poha- 2 cups
2. Potatoes- 3-4
3. Beetroot-1 medium size 
4. Salt to taste 
5. Green chili- Optional- 1-2
6. Black pepper- Half tea spoon 
7. Coriander powder- 1 teaspoon
8. Cooking oil- 3-4 tablespoons

Method

1. Soak poha in water for 10 minutes. Drain water. Keep aside. Make sure all water is drained out from poha. 
2. Boil  potatoes. Peel and mash them. 
3. Peel and grate beetroot. Keep aside. 
4. In a large bowl mix the mashed potatoes, soaked poha and grated beetroot. Bind them together to make dough. Add salt as per taste. Mix black pepper and coriander powder. Churn the dough well. 
5. Make little round shapes from the dough, pressing them gently to flatten them. 
6. In a pan, heat oil and shallow fry the cutlets. 
7. Flip and fry till the pink tikkis turn brownish on both sides.

Tip: Flame should be kept low to medium. Potatoes give cutlets a binding texture and body. Do not over-boil potatoes. Since beetroot is used raw in the dough, it will give crunchiness to cutlet. You can add onions to the tikkis if you like. I wanted to keep it quick and simple, hence skipped it.

For more iron rich recipes visit http://www.livogen.in/iron-chef

The Beet Treat- Health Book -Day 34

Often my mom prepared vegetable soup with a good amount of beetroot in it. The soup looked red..blood red! I used to be scared of consuming the veg soup thinking that she would mix chicken or some nasty non veg piece in it. Since I am the only vegetarian in my family, they regularly conspired by disguising non veg in veg dishes. However, my fears for the red-blooded soup vanished soon as I learnt about beetroot's properties and later the benefits.

1. My dad had a stroke few years ago. The doctor suggested beetroot soup. Why? because it helps in lowering blood pressure. Beetroot is a great source of nitrates, which is converted to nitrites and a gas called Nitric oxides. These components help to widen the arteries and lower blood pressure!
2. Beetroot contains large amount of soluble fibers, flavanoids and betacyanin. The latter gives beetroot its red color and is a powerful antioxidant thatreduces cholesterol and does not allow it to deposit on the walls of the artery. Hence making your heart stroke proof.
3. Beetroot contains a lot of iron. Iron helps in formation of haemagglutinin, which is a part of the blood that helps transport oxygen and nutrients to various parts of the body. It is the iron content  that helps to treat anaemia as against the popular belief that beetroot treats blood loss.
4. Because of its high soluble fiber content, beetroot is a beats constipation. It cleanses the stomach helping in regularizing your bowel movements.
5. It is packed with mineral silica which is an important component for the body to use calcium efficiently. Calcium makes up our bones and teeth. 300-500 ml of beetroot juice a day can keep brittleness of bones away.
6. Beet root releases sugar in the blood very slowly. Hence it helps to keep a check on diabetes. It fills you and fulfills your sweet craving.

Eat it raw, have it in soup or cook with other vegetables. Have a beetroot and say bye to many problems of your body. Eat healthy, lead a good life.