Homegrown Chioggia Beetroot Curry

I spotted some beetroot leaves dancing in the breeze at the weekend. I had forgotten that I planted some beetroot, so it was a nice surprise when I pulled them out of the ground to find some healthy bulbs and free from slug holes. 

In my delight I showed D and he said why don't you make a beetroot curry.  It was decided.  I removed the leaves and ordinarily I would have used them to make Beetroot Leaf Kuku or Beetroot Bhajis aka Pakora, but they were not as lush as my red chard last week, so they were destined for the compost bin. I then peeled the beetroot to reveal that they were not traditional deep burgundy beetroot, but chioggia known as candy cane or candy strip beet. 

This is when I realised the beetroot curry would not be as bold coloured, still I went with it as I have made  a beetroot curry with Golden Chioggia Beetroot in the past.

Compared to traditional beetroot which is earthy in flavour this was quite sweet, almost like turnip, in fact looking at the photograph below you would think it was turnip. 

Whilst making the beetroot curry (recipe below) I got distracted by the blue tits and the  green finches, goldfinches and bullfinches on the bird feeder in the garden, then I noticed a  goldfinch was stuck in the greenhouse.  I rushed out to open the greenhouse door, it took me a while to encourage it to fly out as it was flitting from one waning tomato plant to another.  It eventually came out and that is when I  decided to pick up some tomatoes that seemed ruby red and healthy.  

D was not convinced.  He was right, I tasted one and it was a little too far gone - well at least the red chillies were okay.   Anyway, I am sharing this blog post with Dave over at Happy Acres who hosts Harvest Monday every week.

Golden Chioggia Beetroot Curry and Beetroot Chutney

This Sri Lankan style Beetroot Curry is one of my husbands favourite dishes, in fact anything with beetroot he loves. 

This Beetroot Curry is a mildly spiced, earthy and a little sweet.  The sweetness comes from the golden beetroot.  

Here are the beetroots picked up from a farmers market in South Wales.  We have Golden Beetroot, Chioggia described by many Brits as the 'sticker rock' beetroot because of the pink and white striped on the inside and the more recognizable Beetroot that makes our hands stain when we peel and chop it.  It even stains our lovely wooden chopping board.

I was very careful stirring the different beetroot together upon cooking as I did not want to lose the colours.  It was a little difficult but with a wide pan, I managed, a little bleeding of the beetroot into the yellow an chioggia could not be avoided though, that was naturally going to happen.  

The photograph directly above was taken in the garden where there was still a little light, but don't expect me to keep popping out in the garden where its icy cold for decent pictures. I have to admit in the next few weeks, if not two months my food blogging may slow down.  I will still of course be cooking, just not photographing and blogging about it due to poor lighting, but know that I always eat well.

Finally, a little while back I promised you all a recipe for Beetroot Chutney Chutney.  I seem to have misplaced the recipe that was given to me, when I locate it I will up-date this blog post, for now - please just admire that beautiful Gothic deep red colour.  I will be twisting open a jar come the Christmas holidays.

vegan Sri Lankan Style Jackfruit Curry - Polos Ambula

This  is a very inauthentic take on a Sri Lankan Jackfruit Curry known as Polos Ambula.  

I say inauthentic for two reasons.  One I have adapted it to my vegetarian palette.  There is only one ingredient that makes it unsuitable and that is umbalakada (maldive fish powder) so it was easy to omit that and replace with vegan fish sauce alternative, tamari or even a dash of seaweed powder and therefore also accidentally vegan.  Two, I was unable to get my hold of some of the ingredients required to make this recipe as close to the original such as goraka (a sour - acidic fruity spice) and rampe (pandan).  The others such as karapincha (curry leaves), fresh and the dried variety, sera (lemongrass) and thunapaha (curry powder) can be found in most towns and cities in the UK. I also have to admit, I had to look these up the translation for most of these ingredients as I was unfamiliar with them and landed on very interesting blog referenced below.

Vegan Mofo prompt today Cook Something different'.  Yesterday I showcased a Cashew 'Cheese' which was new to me. Today I share a Sri Lankan dish called JackFruit Curry - Polos Ambula.  In my 8 years of food blogging, I have made Sri Lankan cuisine before, but not often enough. 

Aubergine, Black Bean Pepper Pot
Beetroot Coconut Curry 
Carrot and Cabbage Curry
Chilli coconut and Runner Beans Pie 
Chilli Coconut Relish Bulgar Wheat Salad

I have been wanting to make this Sri Lankan Jackfruit Curry for a long while. First delay was getting my hands on Jackfruit and then when I looked at the recipe closely, it demands a long list of spices that I was unfamiliar with as mentioned above.   Undeterred I decided to give this a go.  I am hoping to make it again and track down the ingredients to make Polos Ambula again and a little more properly, but here is it at first attempt.  I found myself automatically shredding the Jackfruit - vegetarian pulled 'pork' style, which it was not necessary as this dish is supposed to be served in chunks, so I will do that next time 

I finished it off by bathing it in some coconut milk, I use only half a can as I did not want it to drown.  I found the chilli a little harsh, perhaps this dish like many spicy dishes is better a day later.  If you put the pot in the oven and cook it slowly it will darken in colour too.

Please read this very interesting  and insightful blog post by Renuka of Fenugreek who gives more insight into Sri Lankan cooking and its ingredients and a wonderfully written blog post on how Sri Lankan people do things in threes.

Sri Lankan Chilli Coconut Runner Bean Pie

Early in the week we had every weather hit us thanks to Hurricane Bertha.  The sun shine, the rain fall, the thunder storms, the lightning, hailstones and then the blustery winds.  We woke up in the morning, only to look out of the bedroom window and  find the one vegetable doing brilliantly in the garden getting a good bashing from the weather.  One of our climbing bean frames was on its side.  We managed to get it back upright, but its not the same as the structure is now weakened.   Never mind. We harvested a load of runner beans,  I will probably freeze a load of them, but I want to make the most of them while fresh, so any recipe suggestions would be most welcome.  

I remembered making a Ceylonese Spiced Runner Beans recipe a few years back and thought why not incorporate some runner beans into a large pie.   I also had some Chilli Coconut Sambal that I decided to stir into the filling. The result this rather large Sri Lankan Chilli Coconut Runner Bean pie.  It is based on my Green Pasta Loaf. It has texture and bite from the runner beans and flavour from the Chilli Coconut Sambal.  There was heat from the chilli and sweetness from the coconut.  Its certainly different for a pie filling. 

This recipe is best made a day in advance, as it will cool down and making slicing a bit more effortless. Its fabulous for a picnic or as an accompaniment for a vegetarian friendly BBQ, with this in mind I have decided to share this Sri Lankan Chilli Coconut Runner Bean Pie with Vanesther at Bangers and Mash for this months The Spice Trail.  The Theme is Beach BBQ and the spice here is chill!. Also as Phaseolos coccineus are a scientific name for runner beans and I am going to use this as a good reason to share this pie with Caroline Makes and The More Than Occasional Baker for this months edition of AlphaBakes where the chosen letter is P.  Runner beans in some parts of the world are also known as Pole Beans too.  Finally, I am also sharing them with Karen at Lavender and Lovage for Tea Time Treats Picnic challenge also hosted with Janie at The Hedgecombers.

Sri Lankan Carrot Curry

I had deliberately picked up a white cabbage and some carrots to make a coleslaw but when the time came I changed my mind.   

Instead I made a 'Sri Lankan inspired Carrot and Cabbage Curry'.  The cooking method used in this dish is very similar to the Sri Lankan Beetroot Curry, but the final dish was completely different.  Its very flavourful. D really really liked this Carrot Curry and described it as a 'sweet and spicy coleslaw laced in coconut milk'. I found it just a little too sweet, yes even with the mellow spices but I did like the way the vegetables retained their crunch.

Although we had this dish hot ladled over plain Basmati rice, it is advised in the book that it would also be fabulous served as a cold salad.

Sri Lankan Carrot and Cabbage Curry
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 large onion, finely sliced
2 tablespoons sunflower or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
A pinch of fenugreek seeds
¼ teaspoon brown or black mustard seeds
a handful of fresh or dried curry leaves (optional)
2 - 3 green chillies, sliced
200g carrots, peeled, chopped in half and then cut into batons
200g – 250g white or green cabbage, sliced
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
Salt to taste
300ml - 400ml coconut milk
Method
In a wide pan, fry the onion in oil for about 5 minutes, then add in the spices, green chillies curry leaves and salt. Continue cooking until the onion is golden. Add the carrots and cabbage and turmeric and cook for a few minutes on medium heat, stirring frequently until the vegetables begin to feel tender.

Stir in the coconut milk, bring to a boil and simmer covered gently for 10 minutes or so. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve either hot, warm or cold.  Adapted from Sophie Grigsons Feasts for a Fiver.

Sri Lankan Beetroot Curry

Many years ago, I remember watching an episode of Sophie Grigson’s series ‘Feast for a Fiver’.   In this episode she was in Kent, reputed to be the Garden of England and her hosts were an interracial couple. Kumar was from Sri Lanka and his wife, an English woman called Harriet.   Kumar cooks up a Spicy Sri Lankan meal which included La Daube Dizef  (a spicy egg dish), Cucumber Sambal and Beetroot Curry.  I vaguely recall thinking 'err how odd to have beetroot in curry'.  A few years later, I saw the cookbook of the same name in a second hand bookstore and picked it up for no other reason than it had a number of appealing recipes on a budget.

So whilst flicking through the cookbook this weekend, I was reacquainted with Mr Kumars Beetroot Curry and having exhausted all the other beetroot recipes, including Beetroot koftas, beetroot pakoras and Chocolate and beetroot waffles, this is what I chose to make.

If you like beetroot you will like this 'Beetroot curry'; and if not, well this recipe won’t convert you, but you’ll find it an interesting change from the pickled variety.

Sir Lankan cuisine is so similar to South Asian cuisine in its spices, but differs in its use of coconut milk which is only used in some parts of India, namely Kerala and Tamil Nadu.  As soon as the coconut milk is added to the cooked beetroot it is instantly transformed from a deep velvet red to a fluffy marshmallow pink.  The coconut milk compliments the earthy sweet flavour of the beetroot making this an interesting culinary experience especially for those unsure what to expect. Whats also lovely about this recipe, is that the beetroot retains its crunch.

I have had to adapt the recipe a little, as I don’t have Pandanus leaf or curry leaves in my home, so I substituted these with dried fenugreek leaves also known as methi. I thought it would be fine as the recipe included fenugreek seeds.
UPDATED: December 2011 - Torwen made his variation of this recipe, please check it out here.

Sri Lankan Beetroot Curry
Serves 4
Ingredients
400g beetroot
2 tablespoons sunflower or vegetable oil
2 onions, finely sliced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
A pinch of fenugreek seeds
¼ teaspoon brown mustard seeds
3 red chillies, sliced
Salt to taste
400g raw beetroot
2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves
400ml coconut milk
Method
Peel the beetroot and slice them and slice them into strips of about ½ inch wide. In a wide pan, fry the onions in oil for about 5 minutes, then add in the spices, green chillies and salt. When mustard seeds start to jump, add the beetroot and dried fenugreek and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat until the beetroot begins to feel tender.

Stir in the coconut milk and simmer gently for 5 minutes or so.

Serve with plain Basmati rice. Adapted from Sophie Grigsons Feasts for a Fiver.

Ceylonese spiced runner beans

Even though he has not said it out loud, I can see it in D’s body language ‘ Oh, not runner beans again!’. But what can I do, they are still growing in the garden plot. Some are a little far gone, the skins tough to chew due to neglect, however others can still be picked and eaten. I have to admit the thought of eating plain runner beans coated in a little butter or olive oil did not thrill me either, so I have had to find another way of eating them. We’ve already eaten them in salads and 'spiced up' in various ways. This time it was Ceylonese spiced runner beans. I have to admit, I know very little about Ceylonese (now Sri Lanka) cuisine. My assumption like many is that it is similar to South Asian, namely Indian food, but as I delved more. I learned that there are also Arab, British, Dutch and Portuguese influences. Alongside these influences, the country has some of its own traditional Sri Lankan offerings such as the renowned 'hoppers' (crispy at the edge and gooey in the middle pancakes) that every tourist reminisces about when back on home turf. There is also kiri bath (milk rice served at ceremonies), pol sambol (fresh grated coconut combined with chilli, onions, lime salt and pepper) and kavum (dough cakes deep-fried in coconut oil).

But what I am making is not traditional at all, but the flavours are very definitely Ceylonese. I wasn’t sure if these would go well with the celery and pecan cakes, but I was willing to try. It was a good accompaniment. The flavours complimented the celery and pecan cakes very well indeed.
Ceylonese spiced runner beans
Serves 4
Ingredients
300g runner beans,
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon black or brown mustard seeds
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon ground coriander
2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon, grated root ginger
½ teaspoon salt
Juice of ½ lemon or more to taste
Method
If the runner beans are a little tough, string them, then top and tail. Slice diagonally into 1 ½ inch pieces. Cook the runner beans in a pan of boiling salted water until just tender, then drain and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the garlic for a minute. Add the cumin and mustard seeds and cook for another minute, then add the ground spices and cook for a further minute. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and simmer for a couple of minutes until softened and a little pulpy. Stir in the beans, ginger, salt and lemon and simmer for five minutes. Adapted from Ainsley Harriott’s Gourmet Express 2.