Authentic Mangalorean Beetroot Salad
This is a classic! A veteran of the traditional Mangalorean Catholic Wedding menu from the 80’s & 90’s. I had made a fleeting mention of the Mangalorean Beetroot Salad in my Sweet Pulao story. This salad is an explosion of multiple flavours and textures. The soft & creamy beetroot with its sweet, earthy taste, the sharpness of the crisp onions, the crunch of the cucumber, the herby, citrusy freshness of the tomatoes, the mild heat from the slit chillies with the peppery sweet undertones of aromatic ginger, all combined together with lemon juice & salt with a sweet citrusy garnish of fresh coriander, make this salad a feast to the taste buds.
How to make the Mangalorean Beetroot Salad
Apart from the beetroot, all the ingredients used to make this salad are raw. Cook the beetroot and in the meantime prep the remaining ingredients. The beetroot needs to be cooked on medium flame for about 20-30 minutes. If pressure cooking, cook it for about 5 whistles and let the pressure settle. Run the beetroot under cold water and slice off the ends and peel the beetroot. Exercise a bit of caution while peeling and cutting the beetroot as it stains heavily. Halve the beetroot and slice it thick (about 3 mm). Similarly, peel the cucumber and slice into thick roundels. Halve the tomatoes & onions and slice them thick. Ensure that all the veggies are sliced to uniform thickness.
Slit the green chillies. Do not chop them! We just need a mild heat to the salad. Mince the ginger. Mix and toss all the chopped ingredients together until the beetroot begins to stain them. Squeeze in lemon juice and season with salt and toss well. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. The Mangalorean Beetroot Salad is ready. Let it sit for sometime, preferably in the refrigerator before serving, for the flavours to infuse. Done!
It is a healthy salad with all natural ingredients and no sugar. Do give it a try. You will love it!
Mangalorean Beetroot Salad
Ingredients
- 2-3 pc Beetroot, medium sized
- Water (as needed for cooking the beetroot)
- 1 pc Cucumber, large (peeled & sliced into thick roundels)
- 2-3 pc Tomatoes, medium sized (halved & sliced thick)
- 1 pc Onion, medium sized (halved & sliced thick)
- 2-3 pc Green chillies (slit)
- ½ inch Ginger (minced)
- ½ pc Lemon (juiced)
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ Cup Fresh Coriander leaves (roughly chopped)
Instructions
- To begin with, cook the beetroot by pressure cooking with sufficient water for about 5 whistles (see notes)
- Once cooked, run the beetroot under cold water, slice off the ends and peel them (see notes)
- Halve the beetroot & slice them thick (about 3mm)
- Transfer to a mixing bowl and add in sliced cucumber, tomatoes, onion, green chillies & ginger
- Toss & mix until the beetroot begins to stain the remaining ingredients
- Squeeze in the lemon juice & season with salt (adjust the quantity to your taste preference)
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves
- Let it sit for sometime, preferably in the refrigerator before serving, for the flavours to infuse. Done!
Notes
- for non-pressure cooking, cook the beetroots on a medium flame for 20-30 minutes
- while peeling & slicing, the beetroot will stain the hands and chopping board. Spread a cloth around the chopping board to prevent staining the kitchen countertop
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