Serves 4
In traditional Indian cooking, beets are either steamed or boiled. I prefer to roast them in the oven. I find that this releases their true flavor. Different-colored beets make for a prettier summer salad, but red beets taste just fine.
For the beets: 4 medium beets, different colors if possible, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon ground coriander (see Note)
For the dressing: 3/4 cup plain yogurt, stirred
1/4 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon table salt
Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Wash the beets well and pat them dry. In a medium bowl, combine the pepper, oil, salt and coriander. Add the beets and mix well. Place the beets on a large piece of aluminum foil and wrap tightly, ensuring that they stay in a single layer. Make sure the package is tightly closed to keep the steam inside as the beets cook. (If you are using different colors of beets, wrap each color separately.)
2. Discard any remaining marinade. Place the foil packets on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 50 minutes, until the beets are cooked through. Beets are cooked through when they are easily pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
3. Remove the beets from the foil. You will notice that the skin peels off very easily with your fingers or a paring knife. The spice marinade may have concentrated itself on parts of a beet. If so, gently scrape it off. Cut the beets in wedges and arrange on a plate.
4. Place all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. If you prefer a thinner dressing, you can add a little water, but do not add any oil to this dressing. Place the beets on a serving platter and spoon on the dressing. Drizzle a bit, wait a few minutes, and then drizzle some more. The beets will absorb the dressing. Serve immediately.
Note: Take my word for it -- if you want to increase the flavor of any dish that calls for ground coriander, grind it fresh. It will take you under 3 minutes to do so and it will add 200 times the flavor of store-bought ground coriander. In my cooking classes, this is one ingredient that I grind in front of my students to show them the difference. They always, without exception, gasp when they smell the lemony fragrance of freshly ground coriander seeds.
In traditional Indian cooking, beets are either steamed or boiled. I prefer to roast them in the oven. I find that this releases their true flavor. Different-colored beets make for a prettier summer salad, but red beets taste just fine.
For the beets: 4 medium beets, different colors if possible, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon ground coriander (see Note)
For the dressing: 3/4 cup plain yogurt, stirred
1/4 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon table salt
Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Wash the beets well and pat them dry. In a medium bowl, combine the pepper, oil, salt and coriander. Add the beets and mix well. Place the beets on a large piece of aluminum foil and wrap tightly, ensuring that they stay in a single layer. Make sure the package is tightly closed to keep the steam inside as the beets cook. (If you are using different colors of beets, wrap each color separately.)
2. Discard any remaining marinade. Place the foil packets on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 50 minutes, until the beets are cooked through. Beets are cooked through when they are easily pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
3. Remove the beets from the foil. You will notice that the skin peels off very easily with your fingers or a paring knife. The spice marinade may have concentrated itself on parts of a beet. If so, gently scrape it off. Cut the beets in wedges and arrange on a plate.
4. Place all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. If you prefer a thinner dressing, you can add a little water, but do not add any oil to this dressing. Place the beets on a serving platter and spoon on the dressing. Drizzle a bit, wait a few minutes, and then drizzle some more. The beets will absorb the dressing. Serve immediately.
Note: Take my word for it -- if you want to increase the flavor of any dish that calls for ground coriander, grind it fresh. It will take you under 3 minutes to do so and it will add 200 times the flavor of store-bought ground coriander. In my cooking classes, this is one ingredient that I grind in front of my students to show them the difference. They always, without exception, gasp when they smell the lemony fragrance of freshly ground coriander seeds.
