Beet And Scallion Raita Recipes

PEA AND PEANUT PULAO WITH PICKLED BEET RAITA

Steps:

• Put the rice in a strainer and rinse under cool water three or four times, until the water runs clear. Place the strainer in a bowl of water and let the rice soak, about 20 minutes. Drain the rice well.
• Meanwhile, warm the ghee in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cumin, cardamom and bay leaf and cook until the spices sizzle and become aromatic, about 1 minute. Then add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add the drained rice to the pot. Cook until the water evaporates from the rice grains and you can hear a gentle snap, crackle and pop, 1 to 2 minutes. (The rice will smell ever so slightly nutty.) Pour in 1 3/4 cups hot water and season with a big pinch of salt. Cover the pot, turn down the heat to low and cook 15 minutes. (Don't take the lid off while cooking!)
• Meanwhile, pour the peas into a microwave-safe bowl, cover with water and microwave 2 minutes. Set aside. Remove the rice from the heat and fluff with a fork. Place a clean kitchen towel over the top and pop the lid back on. If the rice felt a little wet when you fluffed it, return the pot to the burner for 3 to 5 minutes -t he residual heat will cook off the excess water. If the rice felt pretty good, let the pot sit off the heat, undisturbed, 5 minutes.
• Remove the lid and kitchen towel from the rice. Sprinkle with the peas, peanuts and mint. Squeeze the lemon wedge on top and season with a little more salt; stir well with a fork. Serve with the raita.
• Combine the yogurt, beets, cucumber, pomegranate seeds and mint in a bowl. Season with a big pinch of salt, the cumin and black lime. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

BEET, BUTTERMILK, AND SCALLION SOUP

Steps:

• Puree beets, scallions, buttermilk, and salt in a blender until smooth. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour. Stir well, and swirl in more buttermilk if desired before serving.

POTATO AND BEET RAITA

Steps:

• 1. Place the potatoes and beets in a small saucepan with water to cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, let cool, then peel and chop them finely.2. While the beets and potatoes are cooking, place the sesame and cumin seeds in a small nonstick saucepan and dry-roast over medium-high heat until they are fragrant and a few shades darker, about 2 minutes. Let cool, and then grind coarsely in a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. 3. Place the yogurt in a large serving bowl. Mix in the lemon juice, ginger, sugar, slat, and half of the sesame seeds. Mix in the potatoes and fold in the beets. Sprinkle the remaining sesame seeds and the cumin seeds on top and serve.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

BABY BEETS WITH SCALLIONS

Steps:

• Make vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, walnut oil, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove leafy greens from tops of beets; trim stems, and discard. Rinse greens thoroughly, and refrigerate. Pare away tough skin at top of beets. With a firm-bristle vegetable brush or the back of a paring knife, scrub beets clean under cold running water. Place beets in a small roasting pan. Add remaining tablespoon olive oil and the thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Add enough water to just cover the bottom, and cover tightly. Place in oven, and cook 20 minutes, remove lid, and continue cooking until beets are tender to the tip of a sharp knife, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Slice scallions in quarters lengthwise. In a large saute pan over medium-low heat, melt butter; add scallions, and saute, 5 to 7 minutes. Raise heat to medium high, and continue cooking until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer scallions to a bowl, and set aside.
• Remove beet greens from refrigerator. Using the same pan as for the scallions, saute greens over medium-high heat until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer immediately to serving plate. Place scallions over greens. Trim "tails" from beets, and slice larger beets in half. Arrange beets over wilted greens with scallions. Drizzle vinaigrette over beets and greens. Sprinkle with blue cheese. Serve immediately.

GINGER AND SCALLION RAITA

Steps:

• In a serving bowl, mix together the yogurt, ginger, scallions, sugar, and salt. Garnish with paprika and mint, and serve.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

BEET AND SCALLION RAITA

Steps:

• 1. Place the beets in a small pan with water to cover by 2 inches and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, over the pan, and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, let cool, then peel and chop finely. Set aside about 1 tablespoon for garnish.2. Place the yogurt in a serving dish and mix in the beets, scallions, garlic, green chili pepper, salt and black pepper. Garnish with the reserved beets and the cilantro, and serve.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.