Mini beet cakes with radish and yogurt 'chutney'

Indian & Pakistani Vegetable

In these wonderful little cakes, the beet is absolutely delicious and surprises everyone who tries them. I often serve them with this Kashmiri-inspired radish and yogurt "chutney." I very rarely use a microwave but, when it comes to cooking potatoes in a hurry without them absorbing too mudh moisture, it's the ideal method.

Ingredients

  • FOR THE BEET CAKES
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 small red onion, chopped
  • 2 rounded teaspoons peeled, grated gingerroot
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
  • 9 ounces small-ish raw beet, peeled
  • 1/2-3/4 teaspoon garam masala, or to taste
  • good pinch of cumin or caraway seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste, plus a little more to serve
  • salt, to taste
  • 2 potatoes, cooked and peeled
  • FOR THE RADISH AND YOGURT "CHUTNEY"
  • 3 large radishes, coarsely grated
  • scant 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup creme fraiche
  • 2 tablespoons minced cilantro leaves
  • 1 scallion, green part only, finely sliced
  • 1 green chile, seeded and chopped (optional)
  • Mini dhili cheese toasts

Directions

Heat half the oil in a nonstick skillet. Add the onion and saute for two minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and saute until the garlic smells cooked and turns lightly golden.

Grate the beet, squeeze out the excess juice (I squeeze it over a cup and drink the fresh beet juice as I cook), and add to the pan with the garam masala, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Saute until the moisture dries up, then add a good splash of water, cover, and cook until the beet is just soft, adding more splashes of water as you need; it can take around 30 minutes. Cook off all the excess moisture. Add the cooked potato and mash the whole thing together; it doesn't have to be smooth. Cook off any excess moisture if the mixture seems wet.

Put the mixture on a plate and wipe the pan clean. Make little cakes out of the mix, about 1 1/4 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. Heat the remaining oil in the pan and add the cakes. Cook over medium heat until they are lightly crisp on the base but have not colored too much. Turn over and cook for another two to three minutes. Meanwhile, stir together all the ingredients for the chutney and season to taste. Serve the beet cakes with a little of the chutney on top.


MAKES 12 TO 14 SMALL TOASTS I've never met anyone who doesn't like these. You can serve big slices of it for lunch, with a green salad. Preheat the oven to its highest setting. Slice a baguette 1/2 inch thick. Place on the upper oven shelf to toast. Mix 3/4 small red onion, minced, 1 small tomato, finely chopped, 1/4-1/2 green chile, minced, 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro leaves, a pinch of salt, and generous 1 cup of grated cheddar. Mound onto the toasts and cook until the cheese melts and there are a few speckled brown bits on top. Bits of the cheese will spill onto the baking sheet. They're my favorite!

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Submitted 4/3/13.
Source: Anjum's Indian Vegetarian Feast
Submitted By: smith b

Mini beet cakes with radish and yogurt 'chutney'