Beetroot Gojju (Sauce)

Roundish root, deep pink flesh, purplish skin. Wow, whatta vibrant colour! Hmmm … earthy flavour. Looks pretty rich, tastes so sweet. Suits best for dishes that are sweety n savoury. Close comrade of spinach and a cousin of chard, called by the name of Beetroot. Pluck them raw, root intact with their stalks, fresh n green, and not wilting. Cut the stalks and use the root, it is sweet. Stalks are bitter. But for good health they are better, for they are rich in calcium, iron, vitamins A and C. Cook them too and enjoy just like you do with spinach.

Recipe: Beetroot Gojju - using the bulb of beet.

Dish Type:  Side Dish

Time required:  20 min

Serves:  4 persons

Ingredients

For boiling:

Water                          200 ml

Beetroot                      1 no. (small size)

Pepper corns               ½ tsp

Tamarind paste           ¼ tsp

Salt to taste                 ½ tsp (approx..)

For grinding:

Raw coconut grated    ½ cup + ingredients listed                                         above

For seasoning:

Mustard seeds             ½  tsp

Black gram                  1 tsp

Cumin seeds                ½  tsp

Red chillies                  2 nos.

Directions

Wash beetroot, peel the skin and grate it.  Boil the grated beetroot along with water, tamarind paste, pepper corns and salt for about 10 min. Drain out the water and let the vegetable cool. Store the drained water in a container and reuse it the same day for making soup, sambar, rasam etc.

Grind the above boiled vegetable with raw grated coconut to a smooth consistency. Use the drained water if required. Transfer it to a bowl.

Now is the time for seasoning.

Heat oil in a small skillet. When oil is heated, add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add black gram dal, cumin seeds and broken red chillies. Switch off the burner. Immediately add asafoetida (optional) and pour it over the gojju (sauce)

Beetroot Gojju is now ready.

Tete - a – Tete

Black gram dal, Red chillies and asafoetida can be dry fried, ground with raw grated coconut and boiled beetroot mix. To this you can add seasoning that includes only mustard seeds and/or  cumin seeds.

Recipe contributed by Smt. Mankali, a septuagenarian lady and an expert cook from Idagunji Taluk, Karnataka

Other recipes contributed by Smt. Mankali
Banana Fritters / Yeridevu
Brahmi leaves Yogurt Sauce (Ondelaga Thambuli)
Cucumber Dosa
Spicy Yogurt with Coleus (Doddapatre Thambuli)

Other Gojju (Sauce) recipes in this blog:
Heralekaayi Gojju (Citron Lime Sauce)
Black Grapes Gojju

Recipes viewed here are a part of  "Mangala's Potluck" section in this blog