BEETROOT: An Interesting Root to Stand by!

It is said to be a part of the Amaranthaceae family and was first cultivated by the Romans. Both its leaves and the big round root of the plant are edible and are commonly consumed. It is also known for its use as a dye or as a medicinal plant. It has been grown in various parts of the world including India and has seen its use in our kitchens in global cuisines for a long time now.

Beetroot is an excellent source of folate and a good source of manganese and contains betaines which are beneficial to our body. It is also called table beet or red beet in many countries and it contains a pigment called Betanin which is often extracted to create natural food colorings as well. Belonging to the same family as chard and spinach both the leaves and roots of the beetroot may be eaten the leaves having a slightly bitter taste whereas the roots are sweet.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF BEETROOT:

It is a great source of iron and is great for maintaining healthy hemoglobin levels in our bodies.
It helps reduce blood pressure and is a heart-healthy vegetable.
It aids in blood purification and keeps the liver detoxified.
It also helps improve stamina and encourages weight loss.
It is regarded as a powder anti-oxidant and is good for the eyes.
It is a natural immunity booster and packed with vitamins and minerals hence ideal to be included in our daily diets.
It supports healthy glowing skin, detoxifies the body overall.
It is a wonderful source of iron, Vitamin A and Vitamin C.

CULINARY USES OF BEETROOT:

A great ingredient to be drunk besides eaten as well, a good healthy beetroot juice by itself or in combination with carrots as well as an ideal welcome into our system.
Beetroot has been most commonly an inclusion in our salad plates, boiled/blanched it is enjoyed with a splash of fresh lime juice and a dash of salt and pepper.
Beetroot is also used in the form of soups, we do have a few recipes with beetroot and potatoes, beetroot with carrots and mint, beetroot soup with turnips and celery as refreshing soups.
A good recipe with beet is also a concept like a tikki, cutlet, koftas in a spinach gravy, beet boiled and mashed with sweet potato into a stuffing for a paratha, beetroot pulao, poriyal with coconut and curry leaves from south India, curried beet with mild coconut milk goes well with appams.
Beetroots are mostly boiled, roasted or grilled/baked as well to get the best flavors out of it besides being simmered in stews and poached for stir fries.
Beetroot and fresh pomegranate raita with a little mint and rock salt in the form of a raita goes really well with subzi roti.
I also enjoy beetroot in stir fry recipes, with a little olive oil, cloves of garlic, some shallots, celery, sticks of carrots and beets with a touch of stir fry sauce goes really well.
These days we also come across a concept of beetroot hummus in combination with chickpeas and tahini paste in the form a variant to the collection of dips, it is also a familiar ingredient at our local sandwich wallas slicing it really thin into our grilled or toast sandwiches.
Beetroots go well into pasta dough as well, I like beetroot ravioli stuffed with mushroom and feta stuffing in a nice mild cheesy sauce.
Risotto, a popular Italian rice dish also goes well with beetroot in combination with a nice mild herbed sauce, some of my experiments with beet also evolved a French-style pilaf rice concept with beetroot dumplings like gnocchi.
Coming to the Indian sweets with beet, some of my favorites have been stuffed beet malpuas sandwiches topped with Kesari rabdi, beetroot stuffed Gulab jamuns, shahi beet aur badam ka halwa, beetroot sheera, beetroot wali Nizami burfi etc.
Beetroot and chocolate donuts, a beetroot pickle, oven-baked beet chips and beet brownies are also some of the examples from world cuisines.

Here are a few recipes with Beetroot for our readers to relish!

Recipe-1] Herbed Beetroot & Pepper Dip

Ingredients:

Beetroot- 250gms, parboiled, peeled and cut into cubed.

Basil leaves- 10-12 no

Boiled chickpeas- ½ cup

Roasted green capsicum-1 med size, chopped.

Olive oil- ¼ cup

Cream cheese- 1 tbsp.

Salt and crushed pepper- to taste

Garlic- 1 tsp chop

Ginger juice- 1 tsp

Melon seeds/ pumpkin seeds- 1 tsp

Lime juice- 1 tbsp.

Assorted chopped nuts- lightly roasted and crushed like peanuts.

Method:

1. Prepare all ingredients for the dip.

2. Combine them into a jar of a food processor, add little olive oil and little chilled water as well to reduce the oil content if desired.

3. Churn up the mixture to a nice smooth paste.

4. Remove onto a serving bowl, add seasonings to taste, lime juice, and mix well.

5. Garnish with fresh herbs/seeds/ nuts and serve chilled with an array of sticks of veggies/ grilled sausages/ skewers of grilled chicken/ crackers etc.

Recipe-2] POWER PACKED BEETROOT SALAD

Ingredients:

For the Body of the Salad:

Beetroot- 250 gms, boiled, peeled and cubed.

Cucumber- 1 no peeled and cubed

Boiled potato- 1 small peeled and cubed

Paneer – 50 gms cubes/tofu can be used as well/cheese cubes opt.

For the Base of the Salad:

Assorted lettuce leaves- Iceberg/Lollorosso/Cos/ Romaine etc- 1 cup

For the Dressing of the Salad:

Olive oil- 2-3 tbsp.

Garlic-1 tsp chop

Mint leaves- 10-12 no

Fresh parsley/coriander leaves- 1 tbsp.

Mustard paste-1 tsp

Capsico sauce- 1 tsp

Salt and pepper to taste

Lime juice- 1 tbsp.

Flax seeds/ sunflower seeds- 1 tbsp.

For the Garnish of the Salad:

Fresh greens/herbs/seeds and nuts as per choice/micro-greens.

Method:

1. Prepare all the ingredients as per the parts of the salad as listed above.

2. In a mixing bowl combine together the ingredients for the dressing and mix well, add in the body of the salad and toss well.

3. Arrange the base of the lettuce leaves in a serving bowl or plate and top it with the prepared salad.

4. Garnish appropriately as desired and serve the salad immediately, I also recommend adding a few chopped dates and walnuts into this salad as well for more value.

Recipe-3] HEALTHY BEETROOT DELIGHT

Ingredients:

Beetroot- 250 gms, peel and grated/pulverised

Ghee/butter/oil- 2 tbsp.

Green cardamom powder- ¼ tsp

Cinnamon stick-1-inch piece

Brown sugar/jaggery/honey/condensed milk- as per taste

Semolina- ¼ cup

Assorted nuts- 2 tbsp. chopped

Date puree-2 tsp recommended for low sugar diets.

Soy milk/oats milk/milk- 2 cups

Sunflower seeds/ melon seeds- 1 tbsp.

Method:

1. Prepare all the ingredients for the sweet.

2. Heat ghee/oil in a thick bottomed pan, saute the semolina for a few seconds, add in the cardamom and cinnamon, add sweetener of your choice, reduce the flame and add milk.

3. Stir well and simmer, add in the beetroot and continue cooking on a low flame for 12- 15 mins.

4. Check for texture, allow the sweet to be well cooked, mushy and soft, adding a ripe mashed banana also elevates the taste of this sweet, sometimes i also add a little thick coconut milk into this.

5. Cook for another 4-5 mins, and portion into serving bowls and garnish appropriately and serve warm ideally garnished with seeds/nuts/tender coconut malai shredded on top is yum as well.

Recipe-4] CHUKANDAR KI NUTKHUT TIKKI

Ingredients:

Beetroot- 200 gms, boiled and grated.

Boiled sweet potato- 1 cup mashed

Boiled potato-1 cup mashed

Oil- 2 tbsp.

Hing-1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp

Green chili- ginger-garlic paste -1 tsp mix

Salt and pepper to taste

Chaat masala-1/4 tsp

Garam masala powder-1/4 tsp

Chopped mint- 1 tbsp.

Grated cheese-2 tbsp.

Chopped coriander- 2 tbsp.

Chopped nuts-2-3 tbsp. mix of cashews, raisins.

Maida/cornflour/breadcrumbs for binding and coating

Oil to deep fry

To serve with chutney/ ketchup/ an array of dips.

Method:

1. Prepare all the ingredients for the chukandar ki tikki and keep it ready.

2. In a pan heat oil add in the spices one by one and add in the beetroot, saute for a few mins, add in salt, spices and mix well.

3. Add in the sweet potato and regular potato, mint and coriander and mix well. Remove from the flame and then add a little of the binding agents and also add in the nuts and mix well.

4. Shape up the mixture into small round tikkis with the help of a little oil on the finger tips and palms. Once the tikkis are shaped, coat them with a little cornflour powder and shallow fry the tikkis and serve hot with ketchup/ sauce etc.

Recipe- 5] HERBED CUPPA BEETROOT

Ingredients:

Oil-2 tsp

Butter-1 tsp

Garlic- 1 tsp chopped

Bay leaf- 1-2 no

Peppercorns-2-3 no.

Celery-1 stalk cut

Onions- 1 small chop

Salt and pepper to taste

Mixed herbs-1/4 tsp

Chili flakes-1/2 tsp

Potato- 2 no peeled and cut roughly

Beetroot-150 gms, peeled and cut.

Water/stock- 3-4 cups

Fresh parsley/ coriander for garnish-2 tsp chopped.

Flax seeds/ pumpkin seeds/sunflower seeds-1 tsp

Method:

1. Prepare all the ingredients for the soup as listed above.

2. Heat oil and butter in a pan, add in the whole spices, add in the onions, celery, beetroot and potatoes.

3. Saute them for a few seconds, add in the seasonings and add in herbs, chili flakes, mix well. add in water/stock and allow to boil and simmer for 20-25 mins.

4. Once the soup is well cooked, turn off the flame, cool it down a little and remove the bay leaf, puree the soup using a food processor.

5. Bring it back to a boil, adjust the texture, add salt if required and pour in the soup into serving bowls and cups and garnish with assorted seeds, greens and serve the soup hot.

Recipe-6] SPICED BEETROOT RICE

Ingredients:

Oil-2 tsp

Butter-1 tsp

Ginger-1 tsp chop

Garlic-1 tsp chop

Green chili-2 tsp chop

Onion-1 small chopped

Dried red chili- 2 no

Boiled and diced beetroot-2 cups

Salt and pepper to taste

Mixed herbs- ¼ tsp

Chili flakes-1/2 tsp

Water/ stock- 3-4 cups

Basmati rice- 2 cups boiled

Grated cheese-1/4 cup

Baked beans in tomato sauce- 2/3rd cup tinned

For adding non-veg ingredients- choose between sliced chicken salami/ sausages, bacon as well and use boiled eggs for garnish.

Boiled diced carrots/ blanched cut beans/ sliced mushrooms can also be added for more taste, color and flavor in the rice recipe.

Roasted crushed cumin powder-1/2 tsp

Schezuan sauce- 2-3 tbsp.

Tomato sauce-2 tsp

Spring onion greens- 2-3 tbsp. chopped

Method:

1. Prepare all the ingredients for the recipe as listed.

2. Boil the rice and keep aside, allow to cool well.

3. Cut/ slice/blanch the ingredients or veggies as per list and choice and keep it ready.

4. Heat oil and in the dry red chili and saute the ginger, garlic, chilies, onions for a few seconds and add in the assorted veggies/ non-veg ingredients as well. add in the beetroot as well and give it a nice mix.

5. Now add in the seasonings, sauces and rice and toss it all well in the wok/ frying pan etc and give it a nice mix, cook for 3-4 mins.

6. Finally check for garnish of the rice and serve this recipe hot garnished with spring onion greens/ parsley.