Beetroots and Carrots grace our backyard almost all the year round. Since, they stay under the soil, we have them through early winter too. My usual treatment with beetroots has been to roast them, and then enjoy them usually in a salad.
One of the main reasons I have not thought of cooking them, the way I would most other vegetables is really based on a predisposed idea that I have where I am convinced that beetroots are hard and take a long time to cook. This year, mostly, inspired by several of my friends from Southern India, I took the plunge of inviting this vegetable into the mainstream.
Well, one of the things that I did find, as with other vegetables, fresh dug from the soil beetroots are different from some of their other counterparts that I have found in the stores. They tend to slice and chop up easy. I have also learnt to love and enjoy the many colors of this vegetable. They offer a beautiful contrast of reds.
I of course, love them in stews, which actually I have been using for a long time, so stet that first sentence where I tell you I do not cook them without roasting them. I do not cook them solo, without roasting them.
What I did with them as usual, is very simple, befitting the rush and run Saturday routine. Yes, we are back to school, with a gusto! I am grateful that the kids love their soccer coaches. Aadi is enthusiastic about going to games for reasons other than just meeting his friend Brian. I am also accepting of the fact, that all of this means a very packed fall. The pace at Anshul’s work has been rather hectic, he has been good about mandated Daddy duties but pretty much left all husband niceties on the table, since outside of the kids weekday routine, he has to catch up with work. So we have not had as much family time as I would like the past couple of weekends.
If your life sounds like it could use a quick fix dish, for any reason or just because, you might want to give this colorful, antioxidant rich stir fry a try.
Ingredients
- 6 medium sized fresh beetroots (if your beetroots are larger you can use 4)
- 3 tablespoons walnut or olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon whole black mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 shallot, very finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger paste
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
- 1 lime
- 11/2 teaspoons finely minced cilantro
Instructions
- Peel and cut the beetroot into sticks about 2 inches by 1/2 cm.
- Heat the oil on medium low heat for about 1 minute and add in the mustard and cumin seeds.
- When the mustard seed, begins to crackle add in the shallot and ginger paste and cook for about 4 minutes until the shallots are soft and wilted and the ginger is fragrant.
- Add in the chopped beets and the chili powder and sesame seeds and mix well.
- Cover and cook for about 8 minutes on medium low heat, until the beets are tender crisp.
- Cut the lime and squeeze in the juice and stir in the cilantro and mix well.
- Serve as a side to any meal of your choice.
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