On the beet bandwagon

Purple and precious, this vegetable is healthy, nutritious and versatile in cuisine

BY RAJNI ANAND LUThRA

Beetroot as garnish.

I’d never seen that before. As I sat looking at my plate of tokri chaat at Chandigarh’s most popular eatery Gopal’s, the beetroot took my breath away. Long thin shreds of the vegetable brought the plate alive with colour, especially as its juices spread like tiny rivulets of maroon-and-purple over that final yogurt topping. Its beautifully earthy flavour was a perfect precursor to the explosion of taste that was to follow.

The beetroot garnish has since been adding a touch of glamour to my own salads, a bright reminder of my recent India holiday that already seems eons ago.

Wasn’t so crash hot about beetroot juice, though - a regular hotel breakfast item during my tenday tour of Kerala. Nonetheless, there’s been a fair bit of beetroot ever since I got back.

Beetroot is filled with antioxidants and minerals such as sodium, potassium and magnesium, and Vitamin C. Its bright colour comes from antioxidants called betacyanins which are fantastic for cardiovascular health, protecting blood vessels and preventing blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.

Golden beetroots, available from select grocers, are sweeter: they do not bleed or stain, as their colour is not dominating. Roasting brings out a sweet caramelized flavour. Beetroot leaves are edible as well.

Beetroot lends itself to a variety of easy preparations such as soups and salads, as well as raitas, chutneys and halwas. This last one will probably nullify any benefits of the beetroot towards cardiovascular health, but you could try beetroot chocolate cake if you have a sweet tooth; it is definitely a healthier type of chocolate cake!

Roast Beetroot

6-8 medium beetroot

2 tsp fresh thyme

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp honey

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 200 degrees. Scrub beetroot and trim. Cut into wedges and arrange on a lined oven tray. Mix together vinegar, olive oil, thyme and honey and pour over the beetroot. Sprinkle salt and pepper over and toss together well - use hands to ensure the beetroot is thoroughly coated. Roast for 25 minutes until the beetroot wedges are cooked through.

Roast Beetroot Salad

6-8 medium beetroot

200g walnuts

2 tsp honey

150g Danish feta

¾ cup pomegranate seeds

3 tsp light olive oil

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 ½ tbsp brown sugar

Salt and pepper

Rocket leaves

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Scrub beetroot and trim. Wrap in foil and cook in oven for about an hour or until tender when tested with skewer. Remove from oven and unfurl carefully. Stand for 10 minutes and then peel - wear disposable gloves to save hands from staining. Cut into large neat portions.

Put walnuts into small frying pan and add honey. Cook, stirring, till nuts are well-coated and heated through. Cool. Make dressing by combining olive oil, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, salt and pepper.

To put salad together, throw in rocket leaves in deep bowl and add beetroot, pomegranate, honeyed walnuts and Danish feta (cubed or crumbled). Drizzle dressing over and toss.

Beetroot Raita

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 dry red chilli

1 tsp sesame seeds

1 sprig curry leaves

Pinch asafoetida

1 cup (200g) thick Greek-style yoghurt

2 small beetroots, cooked, peeled chopped into 5mm cubes

Heat oil in a small frying pan. Add the mustard seeds and dry red chilli. Cook till chilli is blackened: this gets rid of its heat and increases its flavour. Throw in sesame seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida, and cook till sizzling.

Meanwhile, combine the yoghurt and beetroot in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Pour tempering over straight from the frying pan and mix, and watch the yoghurt turn into a beautiful pink.

Beetroot Chutney

1 large beetroot, grated

¾ tsp tamarind concentrate

3 numbers eschallots (scallions)

4 tbsp fresh grated coconut

1 tbsp chopped garlic

1-2 dry red chillies

1 tsp chana dal

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp urad dal

Salt to taste

3 cloves

½ inch cinnamon stick

¼ tsp fenugreek seeds

For tempering:

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

Pinch asafoetida

1 sprig curry leaves

Heat oil in a pan and add garlic, fenugreek seeds, dals, cloves, cinnamon and red chillies and cook until sizzling. Add grated beetroot, coconut and tamarind. Stir to combine. Cook till the raw smell disappears. Cool. Process in a blender with a little water, to make a smooth paste. Add salt to taste and mix well. To temper, heat oil in a small frying pan and add mustard seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves. When it comes to a sizzle, pour over beetroot chutney.

Beetroot Dip

1 kg beetroot

1/3 cup orange juice (preferably freshly squeezed)

3 tsp dry roasted and ground cumin seeds

2 tsp dry roasted and ground coriander seeds

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup yoghurt

Roast the beetroot as explained under Roast Beetroot Salad. Cool and chop flesh up.

Process together with orange juice, cumin powder and coriander powder.

Add yoghurt, salt and pepper and mix well. Refrigerate until needed.