Listen to your broccoli and it will tell you how to eat it!!!

Broccoli, a high nutritive value veggie was cultivated in Europe for the first time. The versatile veggie ranks as the fifth popular vegetable in the world. It is an exotic vegetable that resembles cauliflower, a common vegetable in India. Broccoli in the raw state contains near about 90% water, 7% carbs, 3% protein, and almost no fat. The low-calorie veggie not only supports weight loss but also the calcium-rich cruciferous member helps in reducing the new fat cells production and stimulates the breakdown of deposited fat in the body. So let us learn a few broccoli recipes.

Sicilian Spicy Pasta

Ingredients: 1 cup boiled penne or spaghetti any form of pasta of your choice, 2 tsp chopped garlic, 1/2 tsp chopped red chilies, 1/4 cup broccoli, 1/2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese, pepper, oil and salt to taste.

Let us cook:
1. Take a pan and heat oil, add chopped garlic and sauté
2. Then add red chilies along with salt and pepper.
3. Then add broccoli and saute for two minutes.
4. Add boiled pasta and then parmesan cheese.
5. Saute and cook for 2-3 minutes.
6. Serve hot.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Ingredients: 200 gm broccoli finely chopped, 2 Tbsp butter/oil, 2 Tbsp sifted flour, 1/4 tsp powdered black pepper, 3/4 cup milk, 4 cups stock or water, 1/2 tsp celery salt, salt to taste and Cream for garnishing
Let’s cook:
1. Take a heavy saucepan and heat the butter or oil.
2. Then add half the broccoli into the butter or oil.
3. Stir fry for 30 seconds on medium flame and then add the flour and panfry the mixture until it leaves the sides of the pan.
4. Then remove from heat and add the stock slowly while keep stirring to avoid lumps.
6. Once the mixture reaches to normal temperature blend it in a blender.
7. Now take a pan and add the rest of the broccoli, milk, celery salt, and black pepper.

8. Cook over a high flame, keep stirring for few minutes and bring it to boil, and then simmer over low flame for about 10 minutes.
9. Garnished with cream and serve hot.

Chatpati Broccoli

Ingredients: 250 gm broccoli cut into small pieces, 2 Tbsp oil, 2 tsp mustard seeds, 4-5 curry leaves, 3-4 whole red pepper, 1/8 tsp asafoetida powder, 1 tsp cumin, 50 gm ginger-shredded fine, 2 tsp garlic finely chopped, 20 gm tamarind-soaked in 1 cup water and strained, salt to taste.

Let’s cook:
1. Take a pan and heat oil to add mustard, curry leaves, red pepper, asafoetida, and cumin.
2. Add the ginger and garlic as soon as the seeds splutter and saute till it becomes light brown.
3. Then add the broccoli and saute over high flame for few minutes then lower the flame, cover and cook until it becomes tender.
4. Add tamarind and salt; let it come to a boil
5. Remove from heat and serve hot.

Happy cooking!! 

The photo of the broccoli by Jonathan Colon.  He is an upcoming photographer and website owner. Link to his website https://skatesphere.com/.