Maharashtrian Beetroot Koshimbir – Bold and Beautiful

Make Beetroot-Koshimbir – the bold, beautiful and distinctly Maharashtrian salad (pronounced “Ko-shim-bir”- with “bir” as in “bit”). Packed not just with rich color, but lots of nourishing goodness too. As for taste, utterly delicious !

The first thing you notice about beets, of course, is the color! I sometimes get a little frustrated with the tendency of beets to bleed easily and turn everything around it pink. So I’ve tried to come up with ways to minimize this bleeding. After all, I don’t really want my tomatoes (or carrots or onions) to look pink! I want their own brilliant color to shine through as well ! Sometimes, though, it’s fun to simply embrace this ‘ color-bully’ and see if your friends can guess what exactly they’re eating! They have to pay attention to the texture and flavor to recognize what’s hiding under the pretty pink blanket!

I’ve found that fully cooked beets tend to bleed a bit less than when they are raw. Why, I’m not really sure, but I can speculate – perhaps the pigment gets ‘trapped’ in the beets during cooking. Even so, the bleeding doesn’t stop entirely. I usually cook the beets in the pressure cooker , although in a pinch, I sometimes cook them in the microwave. I prefer the texture when it is pressure cooked, though: it is a bit softer and more moist.

For this Koshimbir, I do not want the tomatoes and the crushed peanuts to be forced to wear pink costumes. So, I follow a simple strategy – just wait! I wait until the last possible minute to introduce the “beet bully” to all the other guests at the salad party!! That way, the beet doesn’t get much time to bully anyone before it gets devoured itself!

why are beets beetroot-red?

Are you like me and want to know why red beets are their characteristic shade of deep maroon-red? Well, it’s because they contain intensely bluish-red substances called betalains (pronounce “beta-lains”). Interestingly, these are chemically very different from anthocyanins, which exhibit similar hues in a host of fruits and vegetables. The betalains, being water-soluble, quickly bleed into their surroundings, especially into juicy foods with lots of moisture.

tasty and nutritious

Beetroots, rich in iron and Vitamin C, as well as a host of other micro-nutrients, are perfect for boosting your immune system and fighting anemia! This delicious Maharashtrian beetroot koshimbir, with its bold and beautiful colors looks so very enticing – go on, take a bite! Okay, so your tongue may look a bit pink for a little while, but oh, it tastes so good! Sweet, tart, spicy, nutty…. Yumm!

It really goes well with any type of cuisine. So, have it with a Chapati, Roti, Pita, or a millet Bhakri, or as a delectable accompaniment to burgers or quesadillas.

This Koshimbir recipe is gluten-free, vegan and soy-free. If you cannot have nuts, perhaps you can replace the crushed peanuts with lightly toasted sunflower seeds. It also does not have onions or garlic.

Enjoy!

Maharashtrian Beetroot Koshimbir – Bold and Beautiful

Pressure cook the beets; peel, dice and set aside. Prepare and assemble all the remaining ingredients together in a large bowl. Just before serving, add the beets and toss everything together. Garnish with cilantro, fresh grated coconut and serve as a salad side-dish with Chapati, Naan, Bhaakri, etc.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

cooling time for pressure cooker to release pressure 10 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4 people

Calories 52 kcal

Equipment

• Pressure cooker preferred; if not available, can cook on the stove top or in the microwave. See recipe notes for detailed instruction

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 1/2 cups beets: scrubbed clean, cooked, peeled and diced about 1/3 inch cubes
• 1/2 cup cup tomatoes -diced medium about 1 medium Roma tomato
• 1 tbsp crushed roasted peanuts unsalted preferred
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp fresh lemon/lime juice fresh is best; if not available, bottled is OK
• 1/2 whole fresh green chilli pepper Serrano pepper OK – quartered lengthwise
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves (cilantro) rinsed and chopped

garnish

• 2 tsp fresh, grated coconut – optional if not available, ok to omit

Instructions

 

• Place the scrubbed and washed beets in a pressure cooker insert container. Place the container on the rack and cook for 5 min at full pressure. Allow pressure to release normally – about 7-8 min.
  
• Peel and dice the beets – about 1/3 inch cubes
  
• While beets are cooking and cooling, dice the tomatoes; chop the Kothimbir (cilantro); cut Serrano pepper into quarters lengthwise; cut and squeeze lemon/lime juice; roast and crush peanuts.
• Add salt and sugar; DO NOT mix until ready to serve, or the beet color will coat everything else
  
• Toss together at the very last min; garnish with coconut, if using. Serve immediately as a side-dish with any Indian meal, Roti, Chapati, Puri, Pita, etc. A stand-alone salad, you can also pair it with burgers, sandwiches, quesadillas, etc.
  

Notes

Cooking beets without pressure cooker:

Place beets in boiling water, then cover and simmer for about 20-25 min. Check with a fork inserted into the flesh to see if they are soft and fully cooked. Peel them after they cool to room temperature. Continue further as directed in the recipe.

Crushed roasted peanuts:

In my home, like in many Maharashtrian households, crushed roasted peanuts are a pretty standard pantry item. Typically, one starts by dry-roasting the raw peanuts on low-medium heat, until blistered and a little browned. After cooling, subbing between your fingers can help remove the skin. the roasted peanuts are pulse-chopped in a blender to a medium-coarse texture.

In the US, I don’t often do this, because I can buy dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts; so all I need to do is crush them and store them at room temperature.

Storing leftovers:

Try to polish off the salad so you don’t have leftovers. Like many other salads, this one too will look wilted and rather unappealing the next day, although it will still taste OK. store leftovers in a glass container to preserve nutrient quality. Do not store for more than a day.

Nutrition

Calories: 52kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 2gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 205mgPotassium: 252mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 277IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 11mgIron: 1mg

Keyword beetroot, cilantro, crushed roasted Peanuts, green chillies, lemon juice, serrano pepper, Tomatoes

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