“The fault was mine, I’d held it wrong
Made an incision, while humming that song, 
And it bled and bled, all over the counter it bled
Luscious, sweet, a river of red,
There was no turning back, the damage had been done
It was now in two, once a wholesome one,
I sighed, someone had to pay for this pain
So I tossed it all up, and created a salad insane!”
Beet Salad with Spicy Grape Chutney
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
A fun blend of flavors creates a refreshing salad with warm spices and a crunch of slivered almonds to top it all off.
Ingredients
For the salad
- 2 large beets
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) grape chutney (see below for recipe)
- 1/2 tsp white vinegar
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 tsp rock salt (or to taste)
- Fistful of fresh mint, roughly chopped
- For the chutney (adapted from maduja.com)
- 1 cup (240 ml) green grapes, halved
- 1 cup (240 ml) black grapes, halved
- 1 dried red chili
- 1 tsp panch phoron (indian spice mix of whole nigella, cumin, mustard, fennel & fenugreek seeds)
- 1 tsp (5 ml) fresh ginger, grated
- Zest from 1/2 lemon
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika or cayenne pepper
- Pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cup (360 ml) water
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) light olive oil
Instructions
- Wash the beets. Drizzle with a little olive oil, salt & cumin powder. Wrap in foil and bake at 425 F for 45-50 minutes. (You could just microwave / boil them but roasting is oh so swell!).
- Let them rest wrapped till they come to room temperature. Peel, dice into cubes & keep aside. They’re pretty tasty as is, but wait till the dressing is ready!
- Heat a non-stick pan. Add the oil and chili. Saute till the chili begins to sizzle slightly. Stir in the panch phoron mix and ginger and cook for a quick minute on medium heat, ensuring the spices don’t burn. They will become fragrant and you’ll know when they’re roasted.
- Now add the grapes, water, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, paprika and salt. Raise the flame to medium-high and bring to a boil. Let it cook uncovered for 20-25 minutes, till the grapes are tender & the liquid begins to thicken. Crush some of the grapes with a back of a spatula and mix well. The more sugar you add, the thicker the consistency. However, grapes are already pretty sweet so I keep the sweetener on the low side.
- Cook till the chutney reaches a coating consistency, so it can stick to the beets. Remove from heat & cool to room temperature (it will thicken further once it cools).
Notes
- The chutney also tastes great with baked chicken, white fish, smeared on crisps, toasties or poppadams!
- Can be made a day or two ahead and stored refrigerated in an airtight container.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Side
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 150
Find it online: https://honestcooking.com/beet-salad-spicy-grape-chutney/
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I prevent the beets from bleeding all over my counter when I chop them?
To minimize the mess, try wearing gloves and using a sharp knife to cut the beets, and consider doing it over a cutting board that can contain any juice.
What can I use if I don’t have grapes for the spicy grape chutney?
You can substitute the grapes with diced apples or pears for a similar sweetness and texture, but you may need to adjust the spices to balance the flavor.
Is there a specific method to roasting the beets for this salad?
Yes, wrap the cleaned beets in foil and roast them at 400°F (200°C) for about 45-60 minutes, or until they are tender when pierced with a fork.
And meant to ask this too: Do you drizzle the chutney on the beets? Or how do you present this? So many thx.
I love the whole idea of beets with grape chutney. One question: wondering why cook the grapes. They are so soft and easily minced in the mixie without loss of nutrients. But I am sure you know why they have to be cooked 20-25 minutes. Kindly tell, as I plan to make this tomo.
Using panch phoron is grand!
Very good, I will make for X-Mas dinner on Dec. 25th.
–Sindhu Golhar