Mooli Sabji

Mooli ki sabji is an easy, quick and special Punjabi recipe made with white radish or daikon as the star ingredient. Of course, there are so many ways a mooli sabji is made. But my recipe has minimal ingredients and is not overloaded with spices, which lets the flavors of radish shine through in the dish. This is a quick and easy radish recipe comes together in 20 minutes. Besides chopping radish and green chilies, you do not need to chop anything else. A vegan dish.

mooli sabji served in a bowlmooli sabji served in a bowl

This recipe is also made without onions and garlic. We also call this sabzi as mooli bhurji. Basically this is a simple radish stir fry but called with different names – Mooli fry, Mooli stir fry, Muli sabji, radish fry etc.

We make this mooli bhurji for breakfast or lunch and serve with roti or paratha paired with a bowl of curd. A healthy and comforting breakfast. You can make the muli sabzi for dinner too.

Along with mooli sabzi, other breakfast recipes that we make from radish are Mooli ka paratha and Mooli thepla. In my home it is a standard practice to have stuffed parathas like aloo paratha, paneer paratha or aloo puri or sabzi with rotis for breakfast.

This mooli ki sabji is my mother-in-law’s recipe. When I first had this Punjabi mooli bhurji (for lunch and not breakfast), I was like wow – I have always had mooli with coconut. This was extreme to me. The pungent earthy flavor of the mooli, the hotness of the chilies, the smokiness and pungent flavor of mustard oil and ajwain (carom seeds). So many tastes and flavors together in one dish.

So if you don’t like radish, then you must try this radish fry recipe. You will forget your animosity with radish. Sometimes we also add Amritsari wadis to this dish.

You can make this mooli sabji with just the white root part or with both the root and leaves. Do remember that the white root part should be tender and the leaves also should be tender. If leaves are not tender, then just make the bhurji with the radish root. You can either chop the mooli finely or grate it.

So it is best to use young, fresh, tender and juicy radish. As they will give you the best taste and flavor. If you have fresh radish with tender leaves then do add them to the dish as they are very healthy. Rinse thoroughly the leaves in fresh water and finely chop them before including in the dish.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to make Mooli Sabji

A) chopping mooli (radish)

1. Rinse and then peel the white radish. Either grate or chop the radish roots finely. If the radish has tender leaves, then rinse the leaves and then chop them finely too. Also chop the green chilies.

You will need 2 cups finely chopped radish or grated radish (mooli) with or without leaves.

chopped mooli chopped mooli

2. In a heavy pan or kadai, heat 1.5 tablespoons mustard oil till it becomes medium hot. You can heat oil on a low or medium heat.

Mustard oil gives the best taste and flavor to this dish. I highly recommend using it in this radish recipe. But if you don’t have mustard oil then use any neutral flavored oil. Though let me tell you that the flavor and taste with any other oil will be different.

mustard oil in the panmustard oil in the pan

3. Then reduce the heat to a low and add ½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain). Let them crackle.

crackle carom seedscrackle carom seeds

4. Now add 1 to 2 green chilies (chopped).

green chilies added to mustard oilgreen chilies added to mustard oil

5. Immediately add 1 generous pinch asafoetida powder. Stir and fry again for 2 to 3 seconds. Fry on a low heat.

asafoetida addedasafoetida added

6. Then add the finely chopped radish.

finely chopped radish in panfinely chopped radish in pan

7. And salt as per taste.

salt on top of radishsalt on top of radish

8. Stir and mix very well.

radish mixed with oilradish mixed with oil

9. Let the radish cook on a low to medium-low heat. Do not cover the pan. Keep on stirring in between at intervals. The radish and the greens (if you have used them) will start to release their juices. The liquids will evaporate after some time whilst the radish is getting cooked.

radish being sauteedradish being sauteed

10. When the radish gets completely cooked and all the liquids have been evaporated and the whole mooli sabji looks dry, switch off the heat.

cooked radish in pancooked radish in pan

11. Serve mooli ki sabji hot or warm with soft phulka or chapati. You can also pair with a side of dal rice or with any vegetarian North Indian main course. Generally we serve this radish recipe with some roti and a side of curd or pickle.

mooli sabji served in a bowlmooli sabji served in a bowl


Few more sabji recipes for you!

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An easy and quick recipe of mooli sabji that gets done within 20 minutes. This radish recipe is basically finely chopped radish spiced with carom seeds, green chillies and cooked in mustard oil.

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 20 mins



Servings 2

Units

Prevent your screen from going dark while making the recipe

Chopping Radish

  • Rinse and peel the radish. Either grate or chop the radish roots finely.

  • If the radish has tender leaves, then rinse the leaves and then chop them finely too.

Making mooli sabji

  • Heat the mustard oil till it becomes medium hot. Then lower the heat. Add the carom seeds and let them crackle. 

  • Now add the green chiles and asafoetida and fry again for some seconds. 

  • Add the chopped radish along with the leaves if using and salt as required. Stir and mix well.

  • Do not cover the pan. Let the mooli cook on a low to medium-low heat.

  • Keep on stirring in between. The radish and the greens will start to release their juices.

  • Keep on stirring the radish at intervals. The liquids will evaporate whilst the radish is getting cooked.

  • When the radish gets completely cooked, all the liquids are evaporated and the whole mooli sabji looks dry, then switch off the heat.

  • Serve mooli ki sabji hot or warm with soft phulka or chapati. You can also pair a side vegetable salad or a bowl of curd.

  • Use fresh, tender and juicy radish. Avoid using the rough and fibrous radish roots. If the leaves are tender then consider adding them to the recipe as they are very healthy.
  • I highly recommend making this radish recipe with mustard oil as the flavor are awesome. But if you don’t have mustard oil then use any neutral tasting oil. Though the taste and the flavor will be different.
  • Add less chilies to make the muli sabzi less hot and spicy.
  • Recipe can be doubled or tripled.

Nutrition Facts

Mooli Sabji (Easy Radish Recipe)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 127 Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Fat 10g15%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 99mg4%

Potassium 263mg8%

Carbohydrates 7g2%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 3g3%

Vitamin C 28.2mg34%

Calcium 31mg3%

Iron 0.6mg3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This Mooli ki Sabji Recipe post is from the archives (May 2012) and has been republished and updated on 8 July 2021.