Oman dining: One ingredient 5 ways, beetroot

Lifestyle Monday 15/January/2018 19:07 PM
By: Times News Service
Oman dining: One ingredient 5 ways, beetroot

Beetroot and Carrot Soup
Peel, and chop 3 cups carrot and 1/2 cup beetroot in chunks. Pressure cook with 1 cup water for 3 whistles. Once cooled grind to smooth paste adding little more water if needed. Sieve grinded puree. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan and add 1 bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds and allow to splutter. Add 1 teaspoon minced garlic and sauté until light brown. Now add puree, salt and pepper to taste, 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder with 4 to 5 cups water or veg stock (depends on soup consistency) and bring it to boil. Simmer for another 5 to 8 minutes in medium to high flame, add 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice and remove from the stove. Discard bay leaf before serving. Serve hot.

Beetroot Salad
Tear 1 small lettuce to small pieces and cover a round platter. Slice 3 tomatoes and 1 cucumber. Make a border around the edge of the plate with the tomato and cucumber. Put 1 tomato in a shape of a rose right in the centre of the plate. Slice 2 hard-boiled eggs and put it on the cucumber. Take 1 pickled beetroot, cut into tiny sticks and decorate on the egg slices. Now take 2 thin sticks of celery and make small sticks and put it around the tomato. Just sprinkle some lime, salt, pepper and chat masala.

Chocolate and Beetroot Cake
Sift together 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt. Melt 3 sq. (1 oz. each) semisweet chocolate with 1/4 cup oil in top of double boiler over hot water. Cool slightly. Beat together 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 3 eggs until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in 3/4 cup oil, 2 cups cooked pureed beets from 2 (16 oz.) cans, drained, chocolate mixture and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir flour mixture into batter. Bake in greased and floured 10 or 12 cup pan at 190C degrees for 1 hour. Dust with 2 tablespoons powder sugar.

Potato and Beetroot Bhaji
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan. Add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds. When they splutter, add 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, and 1/2 teaspoon urad dal. Add finely sliced 2 onions and fry till golden colour. Add 2 green chillies, slit lengthwise, chopped 1/2 inch piece ginger, finely chopped and 1 spring curry leaves. Sauté for 2 - 3 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder and 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder. Stir well for 2 -3 minutes or till the raw smell disappears. Boil, peel and mash 2 potatoes, and 1 beetroot. 3/4 teaspoon salt to taste. Do not add water. Mix all the ingredients well. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 10-12 minutes or until potato beetroot mixture is well blended with spices and onions. Stir occasionally. Serve hot with rotis and puris.

Beetroot Halwa
Peel, wash and grate 5 cups beetroots. In a pressure cooker heat 1 teaspoon ghee and roast 10-12 teaspoons cashews until golden brown, remove and keep aside. Now heat 2 tablespoons ghee and add grated beets and sauté well for 8-10 minutes or until raw smell disappears. Add 1 1/2 cups milk and mix well and pressure cook for 1 whistle. Switch off flame and allow to cool. Mix well, halwa will be milky and not completely dry. Keep cooking on high flame with regular stirring until halwa becomes almost dry for around 10-12 minutes.
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