Rutabaga: An Underrated Superfood & A Delicious Indian Recipe To Try!

Trying something new can feel uncertain, whether it is a new routine or new job or new city or even a new vegetable, as we often find comfort in the familiar. I had reservations about this particular vegetable until I cooked and tasted it. Let me introduce you Rutabaga, a lesser known vegetable (at least for a person from tropical region like me). It is nutrient-rich, flavourful and incredibly easy to prepare.                                             

When I first saw Rutabaga in the grocery stores here, I thought it would be from the yam family and ignored it, primarily because of its starch content. In addition, Rutabaga's sheer size always made me think twice to try it. In India, grocery stores sell small portions of vegetables like yam, cabbage or pumpkin, allowing customers purchase only what they need, which isn't the case here in Canada. Even then, I don't think I would have bought Rutabaga. Its my cousin who got me this veggie. When he handed it to me, I knew nothing about it. But today it is much simpler with internet at our fingertips. You have tons of information on almost anything, it's just a matter of picking the right one. 

So what's Rutabaga? Rutabaga is a root vegetable that survives colder climates. It grows best in cool temperatures between 5°C to -24°C. So we can find these in Canada, US, UK, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Russia and Eastern Europe. It is also called Swedish Turnip and belongs to the cabbage and turnip family. Rutabagas are packed with Vitamin C, high amounts of fiber, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and very less calories, making them a powerhouse of nutrients. I came across blogs that said it tastes as a blend of potatoes, cabbage and turnip and with common suggestions to make fries, mash or soups. The handful of Indian recipes i came across weren't appealing to me. So I set out to experiment with this biggie using my culinary skills.

Recipe 1:

Given Rutabaga's association with potatoes, I made rutabaga fry similar to the traditional South Indian potato fry to accompany rice and mor kuzhambu. This approach offered a delightful twist on familiar flavours, integrating Rutabaga seamlessly into a classical meal. You can check out my Saravana Bhavan style mor kuzhambu recipe in this link.

Ingredients:

• Rutabaga (chopped) - 2 cups
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Black gram - 1 tsp
• Garlic (crushed) - 3 cloves
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Salt - To taste

Procedure:

• Peel the rutabaga and cut into small cubes
• To a pan add oil and once it is hot, add mustard seeds, black gram and fry until the sputtering stops and black gram turns golden brown
• Then add crushed garlic and curry leaves and fry
• Add rutabaga, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder and give a good mix; cover and cook, until rutabaga turns soft
• Finally add a teaspoon of sugar to balance out the bitterness in the vegetable, mix and serve as a side to rice and mor kuzhambu/ sambar/ curd rice etc. or mix with cooked rice to make rutabaga rice. In this case, chop rutabaga into smaller pieces

You may check out my recipe video below.

After tasting the rutabaga fry, I found its flavor was similar to radish, with a characteristic bitterness and a texture resembling turnip - quite different from the potato-like taste and texture described in numerous articles. With this discovery, I experimented with two additional South Indian dishes featuring Rutabaga which turned out exceptionally well. I shall share these recipes in my upcoming post.

Have you ever ventured beyond your usual choices and experimented with an unfamiliar vegetable or fruit? I would love to hear about your experiences stepping out of your culinary comfort zone.

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