Beetroot: The Childhood Villain
Remember the good old days before Instagram influencers told us what to eat? Before this era of hyper-awareness set in, our primary sources of wisdom for everything were our parents. It’s tricky when knowledge comes from our parents right? We questioned them and often disagreed with them only to be convinced years later by absolute strangers on social media. Our moms were the OG influencers, preaching about food groups and nutrients long before they became trendy.
As a kid who liked most vegetables, one of my only food nightmares during dinner was beetroot. My mother tried convincing us of the benefits of it through every tactic in the book - from straight-up facts like its nutrient and iron-rich properties to disguising it in dishes; but the only one that ever really worked was coercion. We tried our ways to get out of eating it, often resorting to emotional blackmail, and negotiation but nothing worked. We would manage to sneak a few out when she wasn’t looking but we still had to finish most of it.
Now that I think about it, for every kid, their first “nutritionists” and “chefs” are their parents. They have the mammoth responsibility of introducing their kids to seemingly unpalatable/uncool healthy foods and making them tasty as they go. Being born into a primarily vegetarian Maharashtrian family I was introduced to all the ‘less tasty’ foods like Radish, Bottle Gourd, Water Amaranth, Bitter Gourd, and countless beans, from a very young age. Today, these are some of my most preferred vegetables and make for great additions to modern Indian food.
My earliest memories of eating meals were focussed on balancing nutrition to include greens, probiotics, fibre, fat, protein and seasonal vegetables with textures and flavours to include the right amount of wet and dry, spicy, mild, sweet and sour flavours on a plate. Before almost every meal we were told of the nutrients each dish on the plate had, a trait we found incredibly annoying back then but one that I appreciate immensely today.
I’ll write more about what was on our plate and recipes for those in the next few blogs. Fast forward to adulthood, and here I am, running my own kitchen. I have a newfound appreciation for all the food that we were forced to eat as children. So, today’s recipe is dedicated to all those 90s kids, who almost cried while eating their beets only to realise the benefits of it later. If you are a 90s kid reading this and were forced to have beets as a kid; Stop! First, go thank your mother.
This version of the beetroot cutlets is tasty, packed with proteins and extremely versatile. You can have them as is, in between sandwiches or as a main with veggies and sauces in your wraps.
Cheese & Beetroot Cutlets:
Ingredients:
Paneer, grated - 200 gms.
3 medium sized Beetroots, boiled and grated.
Almond Flour, roasted - 1/2 cup.
Cheese, grated - 1/3 cup.
2 Green chillies, finely chopped (increase or reduce the quantity depending on spice tolerance).
Ginger, finely grated – 1 tsp.
10-12 Cashew nuts, finely chopped.
10-12 Raisins, finely chopped.
Black Pepper, powdered - 1 tsp.
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp.
Coriander powder - 1 tsp.
Sesame seeds.
Salt to taste.
Ghee - 3 tsp.
Procedure:
Mix all the ingredients (except sesame seeds and ghee) to form flat patties according to your preference. Personally, I like mine thin for that perfect crispy exterior-to-moist interior ratio.
Lightly coat the patties with sesame seeds.
Shallow-fry them in a flat pan with some ghee until golden brown and crispy.
Serve them hot, as is or get creative by using them as fillings for sandwiches, wraps, and more.
- Devika Agashe (Devika is a Bangalore based food experimenter who adds her unique twist to Roti-Sabzis and Ramens alike.)