Beet the winter

Beetroot Cutlet

Ingredients

• 2 medium sized beetroot
• 3 medium sized potato
• 2 bread slices
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• ¼ tsp fennel powder
• ¼ tsp coriander powder
• ¼ tsp amchur powder or 1 tsp lemon juice
• ¼ tsp garam masala powder
• ¼ tsp chat masala
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped
• All purpose flour,for coating
• Bread crumbs, for coating
• Oil, for frying

Beetroot Cutlet

Method

• Boil the potatoes, roughly mash them and keep aside. Also, boil the beet root and grate it finely.
• Add the bread slices to a blender/mixie and grind into a dry powder.
• In a large mixing bowl mix the mashed potato, grated beetroot. Add the all spice powders, salt, chilli, and coriander leaves. Now, mix all the ingredients until well combined. Now, add the ground bread powder little by little and mix until you get a thick dough.
• Add the all purpose flour to a small bowl. Add sufficient water to make a slightly runny flour paste and keep aside. Spread the bread crumbs in a plate for coating and keep aside.
• Now heat oil in a pan for shallow frying and set the flame to medium. While the oil is getting heated, take a small portion of the dough. Roll it into a log shape. Now dip the prepared dough into the flour paste and roll until fully coated.
• Now, place it on top of the bread crumbs. Slightly press with your fingers to flatten out the patty. Turn the patty and make sure that the other side of the patty is also covered with bread crumbs. Dust off the extra bread crumbs.
• Shallow fry the patties until both the sides of the cutlet turns golden brown by flipping. Once done remove from the oil and place in a paper towel to remove excess oil. Serve beetroot cutlet hot with your choice of chutney, dip or sauce.

Beetroot chocolate tart

Ingredients
for the tart shell

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 3 tbsp sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and small chunks
• 1 large egg, separated
• 2 tbsp ice water, plus more if needed

for chocolate ganache filling

• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ cup milk
• 1 cup dark chocolate (chopped) or choco chips
• ½ cup boiled and smashed beetroot
• 2 tbsp sugar
• ¼ tsp salt

for the top crust

• 2 cups of crumbled cookie (any kind of cookie)
• 7 tbsp of butter
• 3 tbsp powdered sugar

Beetroot chocolate tart

Method
to make the tart case

• Mix the cubed butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir through the sugar and beaten egg. Knead gently until the whole thing forms a soft dough ball — don’t overwork or else the pastry will be tough when cooked.
• Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least an hour to relax. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a pound coin. Lay over a large 24cm tart case and gently press into the edges, trim off any excessive pastry.
• Line the inside of the tart case with baking parchment and fill with baking beans, then chill again for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C and bake the case for 15 minutes, then remove the beans and leave to cool.

for the filling

• Heat the heavy cream and milk in a pot over medium-low flame, until it simmers slightly around the edges.
• Remove from the heat; add the chopped chocolate and stir until melted and smoothed out. Add the sugar and salt and whisk until well mixed. In the meantime boil the beetroot and make a smooth paste in a mixer.
• Add beetroot to the chocolate into a soft paste. Spread the filling into the cooled tart shell.

for the crust

• Crush cookies into a fine consistency. Combine crumbs with butter and sugar. Spread evenly with spatula over the choco-beetroot paste. Bake at 180°F for 8-10 minutes. Cool before cutting.

Beetroot Poriyal

Ingredients

• 200 gm beetroot, peeled and cut into small cubes
• ½ tbsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp urad dal
• 2 dry red chillies, broken into two halves
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 2 green chillies, slit into half
• 2 tbsp grated coconut
• 10-12 curry leaves
• Salt to taste

Beetroot Poriyal

Method

• Take a kadai and add half a tbsp oil and add mustard seeds, urad dal.
• When the dal turns golden brown, add red chillies, saute for five seconds and add the beetroot cubes, the grated ginger, green chillies, salt and turn the stove to medium flame as you stir the ingredients.
• Close the kadai with a lid for five minutes. Keep stirring the beetroot poriyal till it is cooked well and becomes soft. When the beetroot cubes turn soft, add the curry leaves and the grated coconut and mix well.
• Beetroot poriyal is ready and can be enjoyed with sambar rice, rasam rice

Beetroot chutney

Ingredients

• 100 gm beetroot, peeled and chopped into small pieces
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp urad dal
• 1 tbsp chana dal
• 10-12 red chilli dry
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 small marble size ball of tamarind
• 2-3 pinches asafoetida
• 1-2 pods of garlic
• Salt to taste

Method

• Take a kadai, heat the oil and add mustard seeds and then add chana dal and urad dal.
• Saute for a few seconds till both the dal become golden brown.
• Add the chillies, garlic and tamarind, saute for a minute or so and turn off the stove.
• Allow the ingredients to cool down and once cool add to a mixer and add the beetroot pieces, salt and asafoetida and grind into a coarse paste. There is no need to add water as beetroot by nature has a high water content.
• The beetroot chutney is ready. It can be enjoyed with hot rice and ghee, parathas, sandwiches, or as a dip.

— Usha Naresh, home chef