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. If you can find different colored beets, it makes for a prettier salad, but red beets taste just fine. A note about the dressing: When you begin to drizzle it on the beets, it will seem like a lot of dressing. Drizzle a bit, wait a few minutes, and then drizzle some more. The beets will absorb the dressing. Also, there is about a tablespoon of extra dressing, since I find many people ask for more of this dressing once they begin eating the salad. This is adapted from Modern Spice by Monica Bhide (Simon & Schuster 2009).
Makes 4 servings
4 medium beets, different colors if possible, trimmed
1⁄2 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/8 teaspoons salt, divided
1 tablespoon ground coriander
3⁄4 cup plain, whole-milk yogurt, stirred
1⁄4 teaspoon peeled, minced fresh ginger
1⁄2 teaspoon sugar
Cilantro, to garnish
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Wash the beets well and pat them dry.
In a medium bowl, combine the pepper, oil, 1 teaspoon 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.)
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 (they will be easily pierced with a knife).
Remove beets from foil. The skin should easily peel off with your fingers or a paring knife. To protect hands from getting stained, you may want to rub off their skins with paper towels, or wear gloves. (The spice marinade may have concentrated itself on parts of a beet. If so, gently scrape it off.) Cut beets into wedges, and arrange on four individual salad plates.
Place the yogurt, ginger, sugar and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Whisk to combine. If you prefer a thinner dressing, add a little water. Drizzle a bit of dressing on beets, wait a few minutes, then drizzle some more. The beets will absorb the dressing. Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.
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