Beetroot curry

“If you’ve never tried beets in a curry before, you’re in for something special. Beetroot’s sweet, earthy flavour is a great match with the spices and it cooks up beautifully, too. Insanely good! ”

Ingredients

• 14 g dried curry leaves
• 2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon hot curry powder
• 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut
• 6 spring onions
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 5 cm piece of ginger
• vegetable oil
• 1 kg mixed beets , (about 12 medium-sized)
• 250 g ripe cherry tomatoes
• 320 g wild rice
• 1 x 400 ml tin of light coconut milk
• 1 lemon
• ½ a bunch of fresh coriander , (15g)
• 1 lime
• TEMPER
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1-2 fresh long red chillies
• 5 cm piece of ginger
• 7 g dried curry leaves

Method

1. Place a large pan over a medium heat. Add the curry leaves, mustard seeds, curry powder and coconut and toast for 1–2 minute or until fragrant. Tip into a food processor and blitz well.
2. Trim the spring onions and add to the food processor. Peel and chop the garlic and ginger and add to the food processor along with the vegetable oil. Pulse until the mixture forms a paste.
3. Peel the beetroots and chop into 2cm cubes. Place the pan back on the hob over a medium heat, add the paste and cook for a few minutes. Add the chopped beetroot. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 25 minutes or until sticky and gnarly, stirring often.
4. Tip in the cherry tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, before starting to break them up with the back of a wooden spoon. Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the packet instructions.
5. After 10 minutes, or once the tomatoes have completely cooked down, stir in the coconut milk and a squeeze of lemon juice. Increase the heat and cook for 5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Season to taste. If you want the curry a little looser, add a splash of water before serving.
6. For the temper, place a frying pan over a medium heat and add the oil. Add all the temper ingredients and heat for 1–2 minutes, until the spices start to pop and smell aromatic. Turn off the heat and tip into a bowl lined with kitchen paper.
7. Pick the coriander leaves and cut the lime into wedges. Serve the curry with the rice and temper, coriander leaves scattered on top and the lime wedges on the side for squeezing over.

Tips

Prepping beets can make a real state of your kitchen, so stick on an apron and wear kitchen gloves to avoid staining your hands.

Source: Jamie Oliver