Beetroot Halwa Recipe | Chukandar ka Halwa | How to make Beetroot halwa [Video]

Beetroot Halwa recipe with video instructions and step by step photos. Beetroot halwa is a rich Indian dessert made by slowly cooking grated beetroots in milk and sugar. It is flavored with cardamom and topped with a lot of dry fruits and nuts. Beetroot halwa is a gluten-free dessert.

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Hello guys! Hiya! How have you been?

I'm still trying to catch up with the seasons. So bear with me. I had this recipe all planned for the cold winters when beets are at their best. But I barely got the time to get working on it. But, yeah, I made this Beetroot Halwa many times over the winter for special occasions and no occasions at all. And each time it was devoured so quickly that I was left staring at a pink-colored bowl to wash.

I cannot recollect where I first ate beetroot halwa, but just that it was in the dessert section of a buffet lunch. And it was love at first taste. I loved the color, that magenta, what's not to love. The richness just flowed through the entire halwa. And it wasn't too sweet. I cringe at sugary-sweet desserts, but this was mildly sweet and perfect. I knew I had found a new favorite dessert.

So around new years, I declared that I would get the dessert for our small get together at my sister's place. When I disclosed I would get Beetroot Halwa, I got so much resistance, that I ended up taking two desserts, just to be safe. And guess what, the one that got over was this Beetroot Halwa.

So this is a guaranteed dish that can convert haters to lovers. Certified by my family! If you remember, I've already spoken of Raj's dislike of cooked beetroots, but this Halwa, has him converted, at least when it comes to eating beetroots as a sweet.

Beetroots are generally very earthy in taste and that carries itself into this Halwa but very delicately. The earthiness does not overpower but makes its presence felt gently. I simply loved that. The vegetable does not lose its best property just because it is cooked differently. It makes it stand apart from the halwas.

The best part of this halwa is that it requires very little sugar. Beetroots are generally pretty sweet by themselves, plus the milk cooking down releases its own sweetness. I was surprised that I needed only half a cup of sugar for 2 cups of beetroots.

The richness of the beetroot halwa comes from 3 ingredients - ghee, milk, and khova. Frying the beetroots in ghee make the halwa fragrant and also milds down that earthiness. The beetroots are slow-cooked in milk until they are soft. Khova is milk solids. Milk is slow-cooked until all the water evaporates and we are left with milk solids. Adding khova to any dessert makes gives it that rich taste and this halwa is no different.

Be generous and top the halwa with as many nuts as you want. I added almonds, cashews, and pistachios.

Like most halwas, Beetroot halwa can be served straight-from-the-kadhai hot, or at room temperature, or chilled. 

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Beetroot Halwa Recipe | How to make beet root halwa

Beetroot Halwa is a rich Indian dessert made by cooking grated beet roots in milk and sugar. It is flavored with cardamom and topped with a lot of dry fruits and nuts.

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Total time:     60 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

2 cups grated Beetroots, tightly packed
2 cups Milk
0.5 cup Sugar
2 Tbsp Ghee
2 Tbsp Khova
1 tsp Cardamom Powder
3-4 Tbsp chopped Nuts (almonds, pista, cashew nuts)

Method:

1. Wash and peel the beetroots and grate them until you have 2 tightly packed cups of beetroot.
2. Heat ghee in a kadhai and add the grated beetroots. Saute on low heat for 8-10 minutes until the raw smell of the beetroots is replaced by the fragrance of ghee.
3. Add in the milk and mix well. The milk should cover the beetroots. Cook on low heat until all the milk is absorbed. Stir occasionally if using a nonstick kadhai and scrape the milk solids from the side. If using a regular kadhai, stir frequently.
4. Add the khova and mix well.
5. Add the sugar and mix well. Cook on low heat until the sugar is absorbed. Stir occasionally.
6. Add the cardamom powder and mix until combined.
7. Top with chopped nuts.
8. Serve immediately or allow to cool. Beetroot halwa can be served hot or cold.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Gajar ka Halwa

Semiyan Kheer

Kaju Katli

Read more ...

Beetroot Paratha Recipe [Video]

Beetroot Paratha is a Indian pan fried whole wheat flatbread that is stuffed with beetroot and spices. Earthy sweet beats are mixed with hot and sour spices before stuffing in dough and pan frying. 

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Isn't that beetiful?

I just had to say that. I promise, no more bad jokes. Seriously.

Don't you just love that earthy sweetness of the beets? And pair it with the extremely vibrant pink color and then you wonder, who wouldn't love something like beets. Right? Wrong, my fussier half in the house won't eat beets. At least not in cooked form. And as he ages, he tends to become even more stubborn about not eating them. So, I have to come up with recipes that will convince him that beets aren't that bad. And with this recipe, I have him convinced, at least for now.

WHAT IS A PARATHA?

Paratha is a North Indian flatbread made mostly from whole wheat flour. It can be plain or stuffed with vegetables, eggs, meat or cheese. The dough can be made entirely of whole wheat flour or partly of whole wheat flour and partly of all purpose flour (maida). The dough is plain and simple, just made from flour, water and salt. It has no rising agents, no yeast and really requires very little rest time. It also stays well in the fridge for 4-5 days easily. The dough is rolled and then stuffed, sealed, and rolled out again. The paratha is then fried in a pan. On the streets, in North India, a paratha is fried in so much oil, it is almost deep fried, but at home, a lot less oil is used.

BEETROOT PARATHA

The most common paratha is definitely the Aloo Paratha stuffed with boiled potatoes. You are unlikely to find a beetroot paratha on the menu of any restaurant. But that doesn't mean the Beetroot Paratha is any inferior. 

To make the beetroot paratha, I peeled and grated the beets, and then mixed in hot spices like garam masala and red chilli powder and the sour dried mango powder, aka, amchur along with salt to make the stuffing. I lightly cooked the stuffing so that it doesn't ooze out of the paratha. I also added in a little bit of besan or chickpea flour to absorb any juice that does ooze out of the beets. This makes it easier to roll out the paratha when stuffed.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Beetroot Paratha Recipe

Beetroot Paratha is a Indian pan fried whole wheat flatbread that is stuffed with beetroot and spices.

Recipe Type:  Snacks, Breakfast
Cuisine:            North Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Total time:     45 minutes
Yield:                Makes 3 Parathas

Ingredients:

For the Beetroot Stuffing:

1 cup Beetroot, grated
1 Tbsp Oil
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Amchur
0.5 tsp Garam Masala
1 Tbsp Chickpea Flour
1 Tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped
0.25 cups Cheese, grated
Salt to taste

For the Dough:

1.5 cups Wholewheat Flour
0.25 tsp Salt
1 cup Water

Oil to fry the Paratha

Method:

1. Keep aside 0.25 cups of the flour and take the remaining flour in a large bowl/plate.
2. Add in the salt and 0.5 cups of water. Start kneading the dough. Add more water as required while kneading. Knead until you have a smooth dough. Cover and keep aside.
3. Heat 1 Tbsp Oil in a pan and add the grated beetroot.
4. Cook the beetroot on low heat for 3-4 minutes.
5. Add in salt, red chilli powder, amchur (dried raw mango powder) and garam masala. Mix well.
6. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add in the chickpea flour (besan) and mix until combined. Cook until the raw smell of the flour goes off.
8. Remove from heat and keep aside to cool.
9. Add in the coriander leaves and grated cheese (if using) when the beetroot stuffing has cooled. Mix until combined.
10. Divide the dough into 3 equal parts and roll into balls.
11. Dust the counter with a part of the remaining flour and roll out the dough into small circles.
12. Divide the stuffing into 3 equal parts and spoon onto the dough. Seal the parathas.
13. Dust flour on the counter as required and roll out the parathas as thin as possible.
14. Heat the tava or a flat pan and grease it. Place the rolled paratha on the tava and spoon oil and spread well.
15. Flip the paratha and cook until the it is cooked on one side.
16. Flip the paratha again and cook until the second side is cooked. Press with a spatula so that the paratha is cooked evenly.
17. Serve the parathas hot along with either butter, pickle or curd (yogurt).

If you liked this, you may also like:

Sweet Potato Cheese Paratha

Methi Paratha

Beetroot Falafel Wraps

Read more ...

10 Savory Vegetarian/Vegan Breakfasts ready in under 30 minutes

A compilation of ten easy to make vegetarian / vegan breakfasts that can be made in under 30 minutes from scratch!

Do you love breakfast? Or are you one of those people who just wants to be done with it cause every scientific article calls it the most important meal of the day? 

I am definitely the breakfast lover category. If you are in the same category, welcome my friend!! 

If not, why is it that you would rather skip this meal - crunched for time? not hungry in the morning? don't have good breakfast options? I'm here to solve some of these problems for you through this teeny weeny post. I am also forever crunched for time, you see while I love breakfast, I am not an early riser and most of my morning is spent scrambling to get ready to catch my bus to office. I give myself exactly 60 minutes from wake up to run for bus. Also, I am absolutely against cereal for breakfast, I believe it is just sugar. So it is always a savory breakfast for me. I have hence, compiled a short list of 10 breakfasts that you can make in under 30 minutes for those busy mornings. Also, a few of them can be prepped the previous night or even, prepared the previous night. Just reheat and enjoy in the morning.

1) Churmuri Soosla [Vegan]

Churmuri Soosla is a stir fry made from salted puffed rice (not the cereal), onions, tomatoes and turmeric.  It is then topped with lime juice and roasted gram powder. This makes for a very good after school snack or evening tea time snack too.

2)  Bread Upma [Vegan]

My favorite way to use up old bread is to stir fry it with spices, onion and tomato. You can make this bread upma with fresh bread as well. Quick and easy recipe.

3) Tomato Omelet [Vegan] 

Omelet always means Eggs, except in this case. Tomato omelet is made from chickpea flour or besan. Add lots of tomato to it and some spices for taste. Pour them onto a hot pan and cook them just like you would cook an omelet. Serve it with bread or eat it just like that, the choice is yours.

4) Wheat Dosa | Savory Wholewheat Pancakes [Vegan]

This one is very similar to the Tomato Omelet above, but this Dosa is made with whole wheat flour or atta instead of chickpea flour. Serve this with some coconut chutney or sambar in pure South Indian style.

5) Breakfast Bruschetta [Vegan]

If you love bread for breakfast, you will love this bruschetta. One is a classic bruschetta with onions and tomatoes while the other is a take on avocado toast with avocados and green olives.

6) Chutney Sandwich [Vegan Option Available]

My favorite picnic breakfast of all times - bread with one slice smeared with butter and another with a simple coriander-coconut chutney. Use vegan butter to make it vegan or just skip the butter. The chutney can be prepared the previous night if you want to cut down on time in the morning. Make the sandwiches when you plan to eat them to avoid a soggy mess.

7) Vegan Zucchini Frittata [Vegan]

Frittatas can be vegan too! Try out this vegan frittata made with chickpea flour or besan and baby zucchinis for added health. Load it up with your favorite veggies to make it healthier.

8) Beetroot Chickpea Pancake [Vegan]

This is just a different take on the tomato omelet mentioned above. Here the tart tomatoes are replaced with sweet grated beet roots that add that wonderful pink hue to the pancakes. For a quicker breakfast prep in the morning, grate the beet root the previous night and save time.

9) Instant Ragi Dosa  [Vegan Option Available]

Instant Ragi Dosa is a very healthy breakfast option as it uses finger millet or ragi flour. Ragi is rich in nutrients and very good for healthy. Ragi flour is mixed with fine semolina or cream of wheat with spices, onions and herbs to make a very runny batter. he only dairy element in there is yogurt to add a little sourness to the dosa, you can either skip it or replace it with vegan yogurt to make this recipe vegan. 

10) Instant Rava Dosa [Vegan Option Available] 

Again, this is very similar to the Instant Ragi Dosa, but made with rice flour. A popular breakfast in Bangalore, this recipe will teach you how to make it at home with a lot less oil. The only dairy element in there is yogurt to add a little sourness to the dosa, you can either skip it or replace it with vegan yogurt to make this recipe vegan.

If you tried these recipes, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto. 

If you like these recipes, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

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Baked Falafel Beetroot Wraps

Baked chickpea falafels and hummus in a beetroot flatbread!

Mediterranean food has so much to offer to vegetarians - dips, salads and of course, the ever so loved Falafels. The falafel is a great meat free option for anyone eating Mediterranean food, it is full of protein and fiber. While traditionally falafels are made with fava beans and are deep fried, I chose to make them with the easily available chickpeas and to bake them. I love fried falafels, but when one moves to eating healthy, one has to find the alternative to balance both health and flavor. And I can tell you for sure, there was no loss of flavor here!

Falafels are served in so many different ways - as an appetizer with dips, stuffed inside a pita pocket to make a sandwich or as a part of a bowl meal. I chose to serve it inside a vibrant pink beetroot wrap. 

I have an obsession for wraps and rolls. I simply love them, they are so easy to eat and not so messy. And they are usually healthier than the sandwiches made with leavened white bread. When it comes to wraps, I always go for whole wheat. 

You will love this because:

• Easy to eat, not messy
• Healthy
• Vibrant
• You can customize it to your liking
• Vegan
• Delicious

To make the Baked Falafel Beetroot Wraps, I soaked dried chickpeas overnight. If you are using canned ones, you can start right away. I boiled a third of them to make hummus and used the remaining to make the falafels. I made my own hummus, just because it is so easy to make and I love the taste of fresh hummus, but you can save yourself the trouble and buy your favorite hummus.

For the falafels, I coarsely ground together uncooked chickpeas, fresh coriander leaves, green chillies, garlic along with coriander powder and cumin powder. Season as per taste. Add in a little flour or corn starch to help it bind better if the batter is too wet. While falafels are usually spherical, while baked it is preferred to flatten them, to increase the surface area that touches the baking sheet. The area that touches the sheet tends to crisp up, so lets increase that! If you don't have an oven, you can pan fry it with little oil. I suggest you make more than what is required, cause these taste delicious and make a great healthy snack!

For the wrap, I boiled beetroots and pureed them, then I added salt and wholewheat flour and kneaded a smooth dough with a little water. Rolled the wraps out and cooked them on a tava or griddle with a little oil. If you are too lazy to make the wrap, you can buy frozen chapatis or even use tortillas that only need to be heated up. But I definitely recommend making them fresh. They are soft and slightly sweet due to the natural sweetness of the beets. Plus they look so beautiful. You can add spice powders to the dough while kneading to jazz it up a little, just don't overpower it with a lot of them.

Finally to assemble, just spread the hummus on the flatbread, add the falafels and a simple salad of colorful peppers, cabbage or lettuce and onions. Toss in some olives or pickle if you would like. Roll it up and eat.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto. 

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Vegetable Souvlaki Rolls
• Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich
• Grilled Eggplant and Coriander Hummus Rolls

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Baked Falafel Beetroot Wraps

Baked chickpea falafels with hummus and vegetables rolled in a whole wheat beetroot flatbread.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Mediterranean Indian Fusion
Prep Time:     8 hours (includes soaking time)
Cook time:     60 minutes
Yield:                Makes 6 wraps

Ingredients:

To make the Baked Falafels:

200 gms Chickpeas
1 Onion
2-3 Garlic Cloves
0.5 cup Coriander leaves (tightly packed)
2 Green Chillies
1 tsp Cumin powder
0.5 tsp Coriander Powder
0.5 Lime
0.5 tsp Baking Soda
1 Tbsp Corn Starch or Flour (Optional)
3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
Salt to taste

To make the Beetroot Wrap:

2 cup Wholewheat Flour (atta)
1 large Beet root
0.5 tsp Red Chilli Powder
6 tsp Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required

To assemble the Wrap:

6 Beetroot Wraps
12 Falafels
6 Tbsp Hummus
4-5 leaves of Ice berg lettuce or Cabbage
0.5 cup julienne Capsicum
1 small Onion, sliced

Method:

To make the Baked Falafels:

Soak the chickpeas overnight or for 8-10 hours if using dried chickpeas. If using canned chickpeas, skip the soaking.
Drain out all the water and transfer the chickpeas to a food processor or a mixer.
Add the garlic, chopped onion, coriander leaves, chopped green chillies, lime juice, baking soda, cumin powder and coriander powder to the blender along with salt.
Pulse the food processor until everything is combined. Do not over process it and make it smooth and mushy. The batter has to just sticky enough to hold when pressed together.
Add corn starch or flour if the dough is too wet.
Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180 degree C.
Divide the mix into 12 equal portions.
Roll them into balls and flatten them.
Brush a baking sheet with oil. Place the falafels on the baking sheet.
Brush the falafels with oil.
Bake for 10 minutes, then flip them over and bake for another 10-12 minutes, until the falafels have browned.
Remove from the oven and keep aside.

To make the Beetroot Wraps:

Boil and peel the beetroot.
Allow it to cool and then puree it until smooth. Run through a sieve to get a smoother puree.
Transfer the uree to a large plate or bowl. Add 0.5 tsp of salt and red chilli powder and mix well.
Add in the whole wheat flour and start kneading. Add water as required.
Knead until the dough comes together.
This can be done while the falafel batter is resting in the fridge.
Divide the dough into 6 equal portions and roll them into balls.
Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough as thin as possible. Use wholewheat flour for dusting.
Heat a tava or a griddle and brush it with oil.
Cook the wrap on medium-high heat. Brush the wrap with a little oil and flip over.
When the wrap has a few brown spots, remove from heat and keep aside.
Do the same for all 6 portions.

To assemble the Baked Falafel Beetroot Wraps:

Spread hummus on the wrap.
Place the julienne capsicum, sliced onion and lettuce on the hummus.
Place 2 falafels on each wrap.
Roll and serve.

Read more ...

Beetroot Chickpea Pancake

I was so tired last night that I did not do any preparation for breakfast. I did not even give a thought on what I should be making. Not a good thing considering my mornings are like "hurry"-canes. I'm in a hurry to do everything, all because I keep snoozing my alarm. Every day when I'm running to catch my bus, I decide that tomorrow I'll wake up just 10 minutes early, so I can walk gracefully to my bus stop well before the bus arrives and the very next day I'm again running down the stairs and the road, hoping the bus hasn't left me and gone.

Luckily for me, I did not snooze my alarm till eternity and I woke up with enough time to actually cook something for breakfast. I made my quick-fix yet delicious Beetroot Chickpea Pancake.

I love beets, have done so forever. What's not to love, it is so earthy and vibrant and sweet. Although they are sweet, I've rarely ever made desserts with beet root, I'm more for adding them in savory dishes. I make beetroot sambar - a spicy South Indian curry made with beets, coconut and lentils or I make a dry grated beetroot curry that goes really well with roti.

I started making this Beetroot Chickpea Pancake when I used to have leftover beetroot in the fridge by the end of the week with no idea what to do with something as little as one single beetroot. Now I sometimes buy an extra beetroot just so I can make these Beetroot Chickpea Pancakes.

I hate to say this, but this is such a Girly Breakfast... Nothing to do with the taste, the taste is nothing girly or boy-ey but look at that vibrant pink and tell me it does not make that little girl in you shout with joy. Pink was my favorite color as a kid, well, that's what I told others. Secretly, it was yellow. But Pink came a close second.

To make this vibrant quick breakfast, all you need is chickpea flour or besan, grated beetroot, chopped tomato, some greens like curry leaves and coriander, chilli flakes, cumin seeds, semolina, baking soda, salt and water. Mix everything well to remove any lumps. Spread on a greased hot griddle and flip when one side is cooked.

Serve it up with chutney, yogurt or plain butter. Tastes amazing when hot, but room temperature will do too.

If your heart beats for "beets", you'll love this one.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Tomato Omelet - Instant pancake made from chickpea flour or besan and tomatoes.
• Instant Wheat Dosa - Instant savory dosa or pancake made with whole wheat flour.

Beetroot Chickpea Pancake

Beetroot Chickpea Pancake is an instant vegan breakfast made from grated beets and chickpea flour or besan.

Recipe Type:  Breakfast
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Yield:                Makes 6

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp Chickpea Flour (Besan)
1/2 cup Semolina
1 Beetroot, grated
1 large Tomato
1 to 1.5 cup Water
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Chilli flakes
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
5-6 Curry leaves
1 Tbsp Coriander, chopped
4-5 tsp Oil
Salt to taste

Method:

In a large bowl mix together the chickpea flour, semolina, grated beetroot, finely chopped tomato, chopped coriander, chilli flakes, cumin seeds, curry leaves, salt, baking soda and 1 cup of water. Mix well until there are no lumps.
Add more water if required. The consistency of the batter should be thin enough to spread.
Heat a griddle / tava or a flat frying pan and grease it.
Pour a spoonful of batter onto the griddle and spread it out into circles.
Cook on low to medium heat until one side is slightly browned. Do not allow it to char or burn.
Spoon a little oil on the top and flip it. Cook the other side for 45-60 seconds or until cooked.
Serve hot with chutney, yogurt or butter.

Read more ...

Beetroot Capsicum and Blue Cheese Tart

I promised, and here it is - Beetroot Capsicum and Blue Cheese Tart...

But first, how was Diwali? I hope you all had a safe and fun Diwali. Belated Diwali wishes for all those who missed my wishes on Facebook.

Did you eat sweets till your tummy hurt? I'm so used to doing that on Diwali. The whole month's diet goes for a toss on a single day, and yet, it is totally worth it. But this year, I'm missing that. Did you forget, I'm on my super-duper-awesome trip to Cambodia? Read all about my plans here and get my latest updates on Twitter.

Back to my recipe of Beetroot Capsicum and Blue Cheese Tart.

When I made Caramelized Onion Mushroom Tart for myself and Gee, I made this Beetroot Capsicum and Blue Cheese Tart for Raj. The whole idea of making either of these tarts actually started when I went ahead and finally bought "Blue Cheese". I like blue cheese, but I've never bought any. I've had it in restaurants or cheese platters elsewhere, but never at home. I'd been toying with the idea of buying it for a long time. I knew I liked it, but I definitely cannot eat the entire slab, and I wasn't sure Raj would like it, he really isn't into funky foods. He finally got fed up of seeing me standing at the cheese counter eyeing blue cheese and forced me to buy some. Yay!!

Tangy salty blue cheese and sweet beets work wonderfully well together. For this tart, the beetroot was first cooked until almost done. Then peeled and sliced into bite sized pieces. After that I fried it with little oil in a frying pan along with some sugar, pepper and balsamic vinegar, just to caramelize it. Hey, I was having caramelized onions, he deserved caramelized beets. Just the beets and the blue cheese taste great together so skip everything else if you want. I added sauteed capsicum and strips of fresh basil just to oomph up the tart.

You may notice I haven't added a lot of the blue cheese. I wanted to, but it was his first time having blue cheese and I definitely did not want to overwhelm him, so I kept it to a minimum, where there is a hint of the tang and the salt, but it is subtle. If you love blue cheese, go on and replace the regular cheese with more blue and it should be your little mouthful of cheese heaven.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Caramelized Onion Mushroom Tart - Tart made with sweet caramelized onions, pepper sauteed mushrooms, an easy vegan pastry and creamy rich cheesy white sauce.
• Beetroot Burger - Spiced beetroot, cauliflower and beans patty combined with some eggless mayo to make a Veggie Burger.
• Stuffed Potato Skins - Baked potato skins stuffed with an instant tomato sauce, fried green Capsicum and Mozzarella cheese.

Beetroot Capsicum and Blue Cheese Tart

Beetroot Capsicum and Blue Cheese Tart is an eggless tart made with caramelized beetroot, sauteed capsicum, basil and a creamy rich blue cheese sauce held together in a crispy pastry.

Recipe Type:  Breakfast / Snacks
Cuisine:            International
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     60 minutes
Yield:                6 Tarts (3.5" each)

Ingredients:

For the Pastry:

1 cup All Purpose Flour
0.25 cup Olive Oil
0.5 cup cold Water
0.25 tsp Salt

For the Sauce:

3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1.5 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
1.25 cups Milk
25gms Cheese or 2 Cheese Cubes
2 Tbsp Blue Cheese
3-4 cloves Garlic
0.25 tsp Nutmeg
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Filling:

1 small Beetroot
0.5 Capsicum
8-10 Basil Leaves (Optional)
0.5 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp Jaggery Powder or Sugar
5-6 tsp Oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Water as required

Method:

To make the Pastry:

Whisk together 0.25 cups of water and the oil to form an emulsion.
Take the flour in a large bowl, add salt.
Add the emulsion to the flour and mix with a spatula or hands until combined.
Fold the dough 4-5 times, do not knead.
Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200 degree C.
Grease the tart tins.
Divide the pastry into 6 equal parts. This recipe uses 6 individual tart tins of 3.5" diameter. If you plan on making one large tart, do not divide the dough.
Dust the counter with flour and roll out the pastry until it is big enough to cover the tart tin.
Place the rolled out pastry in the tin and gently press the pastry in tin. Remove any excess pastry from the sides.
Put in baking beans and bake the pastry for 12-15 minutes or until done.
Allow them to cool a little and then remove the pastry shells from the tins and keep aside.

To make the Sauce:

Heat oil in a pan.
Once the oil is hot, add in the flour and fry for 45-60 seconds.
Add the milk and allow it to come to a boil.
Lower the heat and add the salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Continue to simmer for 1-2 mins until the sauce thickens.
Grate the cheese into the sauce and mix well.
Simmer for another 2-3 mins and remove from heat. If the sauce has become very thick, add 1-2Tbsp milk to loosen it.

To make the Filling:

Boil the whole beetroot without peeling it.
Once the beetroot is almost cooked, remove it from water and allow it to cool.
Once it is cool enough to handle, peel it and cut it into small chunks.
Heat 2-3 tsp oil in a pan.
Once it is hot, add the beetroot. Add a pinch of salt and mix well,
Fry the beetroot on low heat until cooked.
Add the balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar or jaggery and mix well.
Cook for 2-3 mins and remove from heat.
Cut the capsicum into small pieces.
Heat oil in a pan and when it is hot, add the capsicum.
Add salt and pepper.
Saute the capsicum for 2-3 mins and remove from heat.
Julienne the basil leaves into thin strips.

Assembling the Tart:

Preheat the oven to 200 degree C.
Place the beetroot, capsicum and basil in the tart.
Spoon in the sauce.
Sprinkle another layer of beetroot and capsicum on top.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the top browns.

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