Beetroot recipes: From poriyal to beetroot and roasted almond dip

It’s peak season for the purple vegetable, so make the most of it and its versatility by using it in summer salads and colourful dips

Beetroot poriyal by Atul Kochhar

Beetroot poriyal

6 baby beetroots, of various colours, peeled
1tbsp mustard oil
1tsp mustard seeds
8 curry leaves
1tsp ginger, finely chopped
2tsp coconut milk
1tbsp of coconut, grated
Olive oil
Salt

To garnish

Red vein sorrel leaves

Preheat the oven to 160C. Lightly season the beetroots with salt and olive oil, wrap in foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until tender. Allow to cool then cut into quarters.

Heat the oil in a wide saute pan and add the mustard seeds. Cook until they start to pop, then add the curry leaves and chopped ginger. Cook for 1 minute.

Add the cooked beetroot, season lightly and fold in the grated coconut and coconut milk. Season with salt, garnish with red vein sorrel leaves and serve.

Beetroot and roasted almond dip by Tess Ward

Beetroot dip

500g beetroot, boiled or roasted with rosemary
50g almonds
25g selection of seeds
​125ml olive oil
2 garlic cloves
½ lemon, juice and half zest
½ clementine, juice only
1tsp balsamic vinegar
½tsp honey
10g coriander
½tsp salt

Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Put the almonds in a baking tray, drizzle over 1tbsp olive oil and a generous pinch of salt. Shake to coat. Put the tray in the oven and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until they are toasted.

Boil or roast the beetroot with rosemary, individually wrapped in foil or in a large pan, until tender.

Remove the outside skin, slice in half and blitz the beetroot with the remaining ingredients until it reaches your desired texture.

Beetroot and a soft boiled egg by Jeremy Lee

Pickled beetroot

1kg small beetroot, mixed varieties and colours, washed and trimmed
​125g caster sugar
250ml red wine vinegar
250ml water

Dijon dressing

2tbsp white wine vinegar
2tbsp caster sugar
2tsp Dijon mustard
6tbsp double cream

To serve

6 eggs
1 stick horseradish, peeled and grated
Salad leaves
1 handful chives, thinly sliced and chopped
Salt
Pepper

Begin by preparing the pickled beetroot. Place the beetroots in a steamer and cook for 1 hour, until tender and cooked through. Allow to cool slightly, then gently rub off the skins to peel. Chop the beetroots into large, irregular pieces of roughly the same size and arrange in a dish or bowl.

For the pickling mixture, gently warm the water in a pan and add the sugar, stirring continuously until dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the vinegar, whisking together to combine. Pour the pickling mixture over the beetroot until completely covered and transfer to the fridge for 1 hour​.

For the mustard dressing, combine the sugar and vinegar in a bowl and whisk together until dissolved. Stir in the mustard and mix until smooth, then add the cream and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Bring a medium pan of water to the boil and carefully drop in the eggs. Allow the water to come up to the boil again and cook the eggs for 3 minutes, using a timer if necessary. Remove the eggs from the pan and plunge into ice water to cool, then carefully peel and store in another bowl of iced water until ready to serve.

To serve, divide the salad leaves between plates and scatter over the pickled beetroot. Slice the eggs in half and place 2 halves on each plate, seasoning well with salt and pepper. Spoon over a generous serving of the Dijon dressing and serve immediately, scattering over chopped chives and grated horseradish to garnish.

Recipes from Great British Chefs. Visit their site for more beautiful beetroot recipes