Beetroot tikkis

Beetroot tikkis

This is a fairly easy and quick snack to put together, especially when you use canned beet and potato flakes like I do.

Start with a can of sliced beets (not the pickled variety). Drain and put in mixing bowl. To this add a cup of potato flakes, salt to taste, 1 tsp of ginger paste, 1 tsp red chilli pwd, 1 tsp cumin pwd, handful of chopped cilantro, and 1 tsp chaat masala pwd. Mix well. Shape as desired. Pop in the freezer for about an hour. You can make and keep in freezer for use when you have unexpected company.

To fry - in a bowl take 1 tbsp. plain flour mixed with water to make thin paste. In another plate take bread crumbs. Dip each tikki first in the flour mix, then in the bread crumbs and shallow fry on pan with a tsp of oil till golden brown on each side.

Serve warm with chutney of choice - mint chutney, dates chutney or ketchup.

Beetroot koshimbir

Beetroot koshimbir is my all time favorite kind of koshimbir. When I was working in Mumbai, this koshimbir would be in my lunch dabba every single day...I never tired of it. All my friends there would tease me about, but I kept bringing it every day.

Here's how I make it:

1 beetroot bulb - wash well, peel and grate

1 tbsp coarsely crushed peanuts

1/2 tsp salt or to taste

pinch of sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

cilantro for garnish

For tempering - 1 tsp oil, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, pinch of asafotida, 1 serrano pepper finely chopped

Mix all the ingredients together. Heat the oil for tempering, then add the cumin seeds, asafotida and chopped peppers. Fry 2 mins. Pour into the beetroot mix.

Makes a healthy accompaniment to roti/subji (poli/bhaji).

This Beetroot Koshimbir goes to the Healing Foods - Beets event at Mharo Rajasthan's Recipes.

This event by started by Siri.

Beetroot Halwa

I learnt this recipe ages ago when I took a summer vacation cooking class at Catering College in Dadar, Mumbai. With the gorgeous deep red beets, this halwa turns out as good as it looks (don't go by my picture). This time around, I made it slightly different from the recipe I have 'coz - a) I wanted to use up some ingredients I had on hand and b) these days I find I can never follow a recipe exactly (except in baking), I always eyeball the ingredients.

Anyway, here is the exact recipe from my Catering College class handout:

Beetroot 115 grams
Sugar 60 grams
Mawa/Khoya 60 grams
Ghee (Clarified butter) 30 grams
Cardamon - few
Pistachio 15 grams

Peel & grate the beetroot.
Heat the ghee and fry the beetroot. Add a little water and let it cook.
Add sugar and continue cooking.
When the mixture is almost dry, add mawa and powdered cardamon.
Cook till it forms balls when tested with fingers.
Remove and spread on a greased thali/plate.
Garnish with chopped nuts and vark, if desired.

Here's how I made it yesterday:
1 cup peeled and grated beetroot
3 tbsp ricotta cheese
3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp ghee
A generous pinch of cardamon pwd
Almonds to garnish

Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan. Add the beets and fry for 2 mins. Add the ricotta cheese and sweetened condensed milk. Mix and cook on medium heat for about 20 mins, stirring occasionally. Cook till the mixture is almost dry. Add cardamon pwd. Mix well. Serve warm, at room temperature or cold, garnished with chopped nuts.

Either way you make it, the halwa tastes great.

This Beetroot Halwa goes to the Healing Foods - Beets event at Mharo Rajasthan. This event was started by Siri.