Did You Know This about Radishes
Radish
Radishes are root crops grown in South East Asian Countries. Radishes in hindi language (in India) is called mooli or muli. This green leafy vegetable grows really fast. Radish taproot colour is popularly white, pink, red, purple, and black. They have a pungent yet sweet appetizing flavour. All parts of the radish plant are edible from seeds, to leaves to stems and pods used in traditional foods. Radish leaves, a green leafy vegetable in India grow as early as 12 days. It is a lot of fun watching radish leaves grow.
The picture above shows them harvested after 15 days of planting the radish seeds. The most common ones found in India are the leafy greens, the red and the white radish. This leafy green vegetable can be used in a variety of recipes. Popular radish recipes are mooli paratha, as a vegetable, fresh juice or as a raw salad. Radishes can be pickled and made into traditional recipes. Red radish is eaten mostly raw; as a crunchy salad. Besides radish greens, white radishes are also popularly used in the above recipes, mainly in dals and curries.
Radishes Nutrition and Varieties
| Nutrition Composition (Per 100 gm) | Radish Leaves | Red skin, Radish Elongated | White skin, Radish Elongated | Red skin Radish Round | White skin, Radish Round |
| Moisture (g) | 91.19 | 89.32 | 89.05 | 89.68 | 89.76 |
| Protein (g) | 2.22 | 0.67 | 0.77 | 0.89 | 0.9 |
| Carbohydrate (g) | 2.77 | 6.71 | 6.56 | 6.07 | 6.13 |
| Fats (g) | 0.51 | 0.13 | 0.15 | 0.16 | 0.14 |
| Energy (kcal) | 26 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 |
| Total Dietary Fibre (g) | 1.82 | 2.46 | 2.65 | 2.29 | 2.37 |
| Insoluble Fibre (g) | 1.18 | 1.96 | 1.98 | 1.56 | 1.63 |
| Soluble Fibre (g) | 0.63 | 0.49 | 0.67 | 0.73 | 0.74 |
Leaves, seeds, peel and sprouts of radish are rich sources of many functional molecules that may have possible medicinal values.
Researchers worldwide have confirmed the health claims for the medicinal activities of this root. The natural molecules in radishes are responsible for their medicinal activity. These natural molecules are glucosinolates, isothiocyanates, phenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins and other bioactive substances. Primarily, greens are rich in vitamins, and minerals like folates, iron and calcium and are not protein sources. Did you know that radish leaves in India have more than double the amount of protein as compared to white or red radishes? Refer to the comparison nutritional chart to understand nutritional differences in radish leaves and roots.
Radish is also a rich source of Calcium, vitamin K, iron, folates and Vitamin C. The vegetable has bioactive compounds such as glucosinolates, isothiocyanates, phenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins and others that have antioxidant properties with immense health benefits. We will discuss the health benefits of radishes in another article post.
Pallavi Pinge is a Clinical Nutritionist and Dietitian | Content Director & Editor for health websites | has a passion for digital health and enjoys promoting health and wellness. She’s the founder and director of Ambrosia Wellness, where she provides personalized nutrition counseling, education, and coaching to individuals with various health conditions. You can follow her on her social media channels below to stay tuned in with the latest in health and wellness | Health Blog | Contact her for appointments |
