Beetroots are one earthy humble root vegetable which you get to see year round. Their use could be easily traced down in many cuisines. We indians love having them raw, either in our salads or just juice them to their lovely rich red color mixed with other vegetables like carrots, ginger and gooseberry, which is kind of staple in winters. They are amazingly full of so much of life in them. And they are so humble, that if you add them to your cake, they wouldn’t mind. Rather, they’ll taste more subtle paired with some good quality chocolate. If you don’t believe me, try this lovely rich beetroot chocolate olive oil cake of mine, which I love to bake. Or for that matter, if you want to go heavy on health side and simultaneously indulge, try this gluten free amaranth version. I like them roasted too, just like in this lovely rich soup or this flavorful beetroot and orange salad. With so many recipes here, you would have now guessed it that how much I love beets. A couple of week back, Better Homes & Garden India magazine asked me, if I could share a recipe of a party dip, which could be easily prepared, I couldn’t think, but beetroots. I just wanted to make this pretty beetroot and goat cheese dip, which I love to make usually for dinner parties. It is so yummy! And it is healthy too! You could serve with some sourdough bread, wholemeal crackers, assorted peppers, cucumbers or green tangy apples. I am really happy to see my recipe published in print. There are two more delicious and easy to make dips which are published in this month’s edition of the magazine. There is another short good news which I want to share with you guys here, before you see the recipe for this no-fuss dip. I got interviewed recently by The Asian Entrepreneur, about my work and love for food photography. You could read this here.


- 700 gm beetroots
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp red chili flakes
- 250 gm hung plain yogurt (hung for 24 hours in fridge)
- 1 1/2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to finish
- 2 tsp sumac powder
- salt, to taste
- 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
- 15 gm hazelnuts, skinned and roughly chopped
- 50 gm soft goat cheese, crumbled
- seeds of half a pomegranate
- Preheat the oven to 180 degree C. Wash and trim the beetroots and wrap them in aluminum foil tightly. Place beetroots on a baking tray and roast for 45 minutes, until a knife slices easily into the centre. Let cool completely to room temperature.
- Once completely cooled, peel and cut each beetroot into quarters. Place sliced beetroots, hung yogurt, garlic, chili flakes, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, sumac and 1 tsp salt in a food processor and blend to make a smooth paste. Adjust the salt, if needed.
- Transfer the puree to a serving bowl. Spread the mixture with a back of a spoon to make beautiful swirls. Scatter the spring onion, hazelnuts, goat cheese, pomegranate seeds on top. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle a pinch of sumac. Serve with crackers, breads, sliced peppers and cucumber.
I came across your blog on learnfoodphotography and really inspired by your blog. I have seen very few India based food photographer who are really into good styling and photographing and you are one of them. I love your photos and posts. I would especially like to get tips on where do you find such lovely props 🙂
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