A word of warning: I have a friend who at first refused to eat this dish because of its color, a wild, alarming fuschia. He complained that it did not look "natural." Since then he has been persuaded. The taste, he said, won him over.
This is generally served at room temperature or chilled.
Ingredients
Serves 6 to 8
Step 1
Peel the beet and grate it coarsely.
Step 2
Put the yogurt in a bowl and beat it lightly with a fork or a whisk until it is smooth and creamy. Add the salt, pepper to taste, and cayenne, if using. Mix. Add the mint and beet. Mix gently.
Step 3
Put the oil and garlic in a small frying pan and set over medium-high heat. The garlic will eventually begin to sizzle. Press down on the garlic with a spatula and let it sizzle some more, turning the pieces once or twice, until they turn a medium brown. Now pour the flavored oil and garlic into the bowl with the yogurt and mix.
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Reviews (12)
Back to TopA great, simple recipe! I love it with cilantro instead of mint, and eat it with pita chips/bread or alongside Indian dishes. Warning: do NOT think you will "save time" by putting everything in the food processor and giving it a whirl. Doing so makes the mixture too watery. We think the color is awesome!
ebrilla
Pittsburgh, PA
4/4/2012
Delicious, if an alarming color. One of my favorite beet recipes. Sometimes I substitute cilantro for mint. Goes well with Indian curries.
Anonymous
8/15/2010
My husband and I love beets and we think this is really delicious! I guess the only issue I have is, what do you eat it with?
Anonymous
san francisco
2/26/2009
I used greek yogurt and added pine nuts for texture, and skipped the garlic/oil thing - all which gave it a more mediterranean feel than Indian. I was hesitant about the cayenne but it absolutely makes the dish - gives it a flavor you can't quite identify. I would definitely make it again this way.
Anonymous
nyer in london
12/4/2008
I used lowfat water buffalo yogurt and beets from the farmer's market and added a pinch of ground milk thistle seed with the pepper. My housemate and I both thought it was delicious! Sweeter than I would have imagined. I set out to make something nice and light, yet this dish tasted very rich.
annemerrill
austin, tx
3/24/2008
I love beets but, but I didn't really care for this recipe. My husband thought it was good, but too sweet to accompany curry. Maybe it would be better to use yellow beets, like one of the reviewers mentioned. This recipe was worth the try though.
Anonymous
Oslo, Norway
8/22/2005
We very much like Madhur Jaffrey's recipes and own one of her cookbooks. But this recipe is not good--neither of us could eat it. The color was the least of the problem.
Anonymous
Lafayette, LA
7/27/2003
Might I suggest trying golden beets -- you can sometimes find them at farmers markets.
Anonymous
bellevue, nebraska
7/3/2003
I have made this dish a number of times and find it goes beautifully with any Indian meal (for which a yogurt dish is an essential accompaniment). Some of my friends have had adverse reactions to it, but these are mainly people who do not love beets. Those who love beets tend to love this dish.
Imelda
New York, NY
3/24/2003
This is really delicious, but here's the caveat: it will polarize your eating companions like nothing else. For some, it's the color, for others, the mint. I've made this for several groups where I'm the only person who likes it. I keep making it, though...
Anonymous
10/16/2002
I'm not the most passionate beet-eater in the world, but this is absolutely delicious. Madhur Jaffrey's recipes have completely won me over to Indian cooking!
Anonymous
London, England
10/31/2000
I thought this tasted fine, although the color really is off-putting. My husband ate quite a bit and then told me not to make it again. I think if it had been an edible looking color he probably would have like it fine.
Anonymous
New Hampshire
3/25/2000
