Roasted Beets

I love beets. I remember when I was a kid, we would go to a restaurant called The Brown Derby, which was ostensibly a steak house with a family atmosphere. One of the things I loved about that restaurant was the salad bar, where you could dress up a dull, boring salad with all kinds of treats. The ones I loved best were the sliced beets that you could put on top of the salad. I could eat a bowlful in a few minutes! My mom hated it because it was messy and stained everything.

I learned later on that there are actually different types of beets, and they come in different colors. We found these at the farmer's market, and they are just a delicious color!

Ingredients
Beets
Minced garlic
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 375 F.

Rinse the beets off, removing any residual dirt. Slice the beets (no need to peel). Warning, the beets might stain your counter, clothes and cutting board!

Line a baking dish with aluminum foil. Drizzle some olive oil in the foil and spread with your fingertips so it coats the foil evenly.

Lay the beets on the aluminum foil and distribute them evenly, so they are in a single layer.
Drizzle some olive oil over them and salt and pepper generously. Add the minced garlic and mix the beets so the garlic and olive oil get over all the beets.

Pop them in the oven and cook at 375 F for 20-30 minutes. If a fork can go into them easily, they are done.

Beet Root Curry

This is a delicious south Indian recipe from my aunt. It is wonderful to have, and the bright red color is very festive (perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas!)

Ingredients
Beet Root 2 cups, washed, peeled and diced
Shredded unsweetened coconut, 2 cups
Chili Powder, 2 teaspoons
Tumeric Powder, 1 tablespoon
2 Red Onion, diced
black peppercorns, 1 tablespoon crushed
oil, 2 tablespoons, or as needed
a few curry leaves

Peel and dice beet root, making sure that the dice is even sized. This will help will the cooking process.

Add water to a pot and boil. Add the beet root. Add more water in order to make sure the beets are completely covered in water. Boil until the beet root is cooked. Take out a few pieces to test. they should be slightly sweet and easy to bite through, but not too mushy or too crunchy. The mixture should look red and soupy. Add turmeric and salt and give it a good stir. Continue to boil until the liquid is reduced somewhat. You want the consistency to be somewhat thick, but not too thick.

In a wok, add oil to a wok in order to cover it thinly with oil. Heat the oil and add onions. Saute the onions until soft. Once they turn golden brown, remove from heat and add to blender. Wipe wok to remove all oil. Add coconut and toast on low heat. You want the coconut to turn a golden brown color. This is very tricky-you can easily overburn the cocont which will ruin the flavor of this dish. Once the coconut turns golden brown and a sweet aroma is released, remove from heat and allow to cool. After cooled, add the coconut and onions to a food processor. Continue to blend until the coconut and onion form a fine paste. Add chili powder and give it a few more pulses to distribute the chili powder.

Add the coconut mixture to the beets and allow the mixture to come to a boil. Reduce heat and add a few fresh curry leaves.

Serve with fresh naan, paratha and mango pickle!

Warning: This curry will stain your cutting board (especially if it is white) and your hands (see below)