Roasted Beets with Coconut Milk, Curry Leaves, and Indian Spices Gluten-Free Recipe
This creamy beet salad strays wildly—and for the better— from the same old same olds. If you can’t find curry leaves or nigella seeds, make this Indian side dish recipe anyway and use whatever seeds you have.
Roasted Beets with Coconut Milk, Curry Leaves, and Indian Spices Gluten-Free Recipe
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 12 medium red beets, rinsed and ends trimmed
- 4 medium gold beets, rinsed and ends trimmed
- 4 tablespoons canola oil
- 15 curry leaves
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 serrano chile, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk
- 6 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon nigella seeds (optional)
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the beets in a large baking dish, cover tightly with foil, and roast until the beets are easily pierced with a knife, about 1 hour. Let cool.
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In a sauté pan over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons of the oil and sauté the curry leaves, shallot, and chile, stirring occasionally, until the curry leaves are crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the coconut milk, bring to a simmer, then cook until reduced by one-quarter, about 10 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons of the vinegar and season with salt. Let cool.
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Keeping the red and gold beets separate, peel and cut them into 1-inch pieces.
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Put 4 teaspoons of the vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the red beets in a large mixing bowl and toss.
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In a separate mixing bowl, add the remaining 2 teaspoons vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the gold beets and toss. Let macerate for 30 minutes.
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Add two-thirds of the coconut milk marinade to the red beets and toss. Add the remaining marinade to the gold beets and toss. Let both marinate for at least 30 minutes.
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In a small pot, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the cumin, nigella, and yellow and black mustard seeds and cook over low heat until the cumin is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
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To serve, place the red beets on a platter and top with the gold beets. Spoon the seed mixture over the beets and garnish with the cilantro.
Photography John Valls
