Roasted radish salad with feta cheese, olives and rocket leaves

Radish is one vegetable I don’t use much in my cooking. I am usually accustomed to the Indian radish, popularly known as “mooli” which I often have as a portion of salad in the Indian platter. Although I am fond of my mom’s special mooli bhujiya, but since we don’t get fresh mooli leaves here that is out of question. One more dish that I prepare very often is mooli ka Paratha which is again, my favourite breakfast and it tastes amazing with dollops of butter on top.

My grandmother used to feed us a lot of radish during summers specially when the temperatures were too high up. She said it helps you to keep away from Jaundice and is an excellent cooler. I didn’t like it much then and used to make all sorts of excuses not to have it. I wish we all knew what food is good for us and eat accordingly from our childhood itself. Life would be utopic then, no!?

Health benefits of radish:

Jaundice: Radishes are very good for the liver and stomach, and it acts as a powerful detoxifier too. That means that it purifies the blood and eliminating toxins and waste. It is extremely useful in treating jaundice because it removes bilirubin and also keeps its production at a stable level.
Piles: Radishes are considered roughage, which means that it is composed of indigestible carbohydrates. This facilitates digestion, water retention, and it fixes constipation, which is one of the major causes of piles.
Urinary Disorders: Radishes are diuretic in nature, which means that they increase the production of urine. Juice from radishes also cures inflammation and a burning feeling during urination.
Weight Loss: Radishes are very filling, which mean that they satisfy your hunger without running up your calorie count
Cancer: Since radishes are detoxifiers and are rich in vitamin-C, folic and anthocyanin, they have been connected to treating many types of cancer, particularly colon, kidney, intestinal, stomach and oral cancer.
Blood Pressure: Radishes are a very good source of potassium, which contributes to a large list of health benefits. Potassium has been positively connected to reducing blood pressure.
Skin Disorders: Vitamin-C, phosphorus, zinc and some members of vitamin-B complex that are present in radishes are good for the skin.
Strong Immune System: There are countless reasons why radishes are a good addition to your diet, but improving your immune system is one of the most important.

Lately, I have been trying to get more radishes in my diet. I sometimes have it in as salad and sometimes add in my stews. But then that’s it. I am not big on salads and I wanted more of it. Hard work!

My new favourite way to improve on a raw vegetable is roasting. So, I thought I’d give roasted radishes a go to see if they too can be improved by a stint in the oven. And just in case regular roasting wasn’t enough, I thought I’d roast them in butter. There definitely isn’t anything that can’t be improved with a good dab of butter.

Since I am practically living on salads for dinner these days, it being so hot here and all… I used those gorgeously roasted radishes into a salad with Feta cheese and olives. The salad was good, very flavourful indeed. And the best part was I got to eat a lot of stuff in one go which I normally wouldn’t have individually at all. Like olives. I almost hate them! (would you hate me for saying that aloud?) But they were so good when combined with buttered radishes and cheese.

For dressing, I didn’t do much. Just drizzled some extra virgin olive oil on top, with a dash of sea salt and some dried herbs mix. I added some rocket leaves to bring some crunch to the salad and it worked perfectly for me. You may add baby lettuce or any other salad leaves you prefer.

What you need?

8-10 small red radishes
About 1 tbsp of butter
Salt as per your taste
A generous pinch of black pepper
50-60 gms Feta cheese
8-10 olives, black or green
1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp dried herbs mix

How to make?

Top and tail the radishes, then halve each one. Lay them out on a baking tray in a single layer, and add half the butter in small pieces. Season generously.

Preheat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F). Roast the radishes for about 20 minutes, then remove from the oven, and toss them around. Add the remaining butter, and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes (or until they’re cooked to your liking).

Meanwhile, combine the other ingredients- Rocket leaves, olives and Feta cheese together in a mixing bowl. Add roasted radishes, drizzle the olive oil and give a toss. Check seasoning and add more if required. Serve.

Notes:

I loved the combination of sizzling buttered radishes and cold cheese with crunchy leaves. You might want to get the radishes at room temperature first. Or you may keep the two separate, so make the salad without the radishes and then eat them aside.

This salad works good as an appetizer or pair it with soup for a complete meal.