roasted Indian beets
(vegan)

recipe by m-c

just the recipe

what I was looking for

A beet dish strong enough to stand on its own, as a separate course.

what I made

Beets from our cookbook of the month,
Ruta Kahate's 5 Spices, 50 Dishes, pages 30-31.

Beets and me, me and beets -- I can't get too much of them. Ruta says her recipe "transforms the humble beet." Say what? What does she mean, "transforms"? I never met a beet that required transformation. A new take on the not-at-all-humble beet is what I wanted.

Like many authors, Ruta has you starting out here by simmering the beets. Simmering is easy, and it has the advantage that you can swap in canned beets if you're short on time. But roasting beets is the way to go, believe me. It takes longer than simmering, but the taste is better. Way better. And if you'll follow my system for prepping and trimming the beets, you won't even get your hands dyed scarlet.

grades for my version

healthy	A	Beets are among the most virtuous of foods.
fast	C	Not fast.
easy	B	Once you get the hang of prepping, roasting, and trimming the beets, this recipe isn't hard.
cheap	A	That which grows in dirt is often dirt cheap (truffles excepted).
delicious	A-	Butter would have been even more delicious, but I've got to stop switching every recipe to butter.

yield

Serves two as a main dish.

equipment

   no special equipment needed

prepping and roasting the beets

ingredients	Ruta	m-c	why?
beets	2 pounds	2 pounds	no change
oil	---	2 Tablespoons peanut oil	tastier [1]
Notes
[1]	Ruta uses 3 Tablespoons of canola oil later in the dish where I use 1 Tablespoon of peanut oil.

Preheat your oven to 450°.

Prep and roast the beets by your favorite method. If you don't already have a favorite method, here's mine.

Cut the beets into irregular pieces, all about the same size. If you're using both red and yellow beets, as I did, you have to keep them separate till the last minute or the red ones will dye the yellow ones.

the flavorings

ingredients	Ruta	m-c	why?
oil	3 Tablespoons canola oil	1 Tablespoon peanut oil	tastier [1]
mustard seeds	½ teaspoon	½ teaspoon	no change
serrano chiles	2 small chiles, sliced into rounds	2 small chiles, sliced into rounds	no change
salt	1 teaspoon	to taste	no change
Notes
[1]	The 2 Tablespoons of oil from the roasting continue to cling to the beets, so I need only 1 Tablespoon here. I like peanut oil better than canola oil.

Put the flavorings and the beets into a frying pan (or divide them between two frying pans if you're using both red and yellow beets), turn the heat on medium, and cook all the ingredients together till the beets are heated through and the flavors have blended, 6-8 minutes.

the final touch

ingredients	Ruta	m-c	why?
lemon juice	1 Tablespoon	1 Tablespoon	no change
cilantro	2 Tablespoons fine-chopped leaves	2 Tablespoons fine-chopped leaves and stems	cheaper [1]
Notes
[1]	The stems taste great, they're loaded with fiber, and besides, I paid for them.

Mix the beets (keeping them separate if you're using both red and yellow beets) with the lemon juice and cilantro and serve them hot, room temp, or cold.

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