1.
Wash the beetroot well. They are great hoarders of dirt (esp. if you are buying from Farmer's market). Cut their ends and peel them. Do you see how beautiful that Golden color is? :)
2.
Chop them into small cubes. Cutting them small and equal pieces ensures quick steaming.
3.
Steam them - takes around 5-8 minutes depending on the size of the cubes.
4.
You can alternatively boil them too. My mom always boiled them in little water, just enough to cook them. The little of excess water that remained was used as a base for making
Rasam which was boiling away nearby. No wastages of nutrients.
5.
Remove from heat when soft.
6.
On the side, while the beet was cooking, heat a pan. When ready, add 1-2 tsp. Ghee/butter/oil to the pan. When hot, add mustard seeds. When it starts popping, add the urad dal, and red chilli (if using). When the dal starts changing color, add the coconut and stir it for few seconds - around 30-40 seconds.
7.
When the aroma hits of nutty coconut, add the curry leaves and asafoetida.
8.
Next goes the beets. From this stage, its more of sauteing to combine the spices and additional flavors than for cooking beets, since its already done cooking. Add turmeric and salt.
9.
'Give a quick toss - for few seconds - until everything is combined.
By Janani on Mar 15, 2013