Beetroot with horseradish

It sometimes takes people by surprise to find that beetroot can be lightly cooked without the prolonged boiling or steaming often associated with this vegetable.  The trick is to grate it first.

This Russian-style dish calls for two beetroot, 40 grms (2oz) of butter and the juice of half a lemon, so it’s not going to break the bank. Cooking it is simplicity itself.

First of all peel and grate the beetroot. Wear rubber gloves or have hands like Jack the Ripper for the next three days!

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet for which you have a cover and add the beetroot, lemon juice and 100mls of water. Cook this over a low to moderate heat for exactly 20 minutes. Give the pan a shake every five minutes or so.

Watch that the mix doesn’t dry out too much and add a small amount of extra water if it does.

When the dish is finished, drain it if necessary and put it into a warm serving dish. Stir in 2 teaspoons of horseradish mixed with 100mls of yogurt or soured cream. Season with salt and pepper.

So, your ingredients are:

2 beetroot
40 grms butter or ghee
Juice of half a lemon
2 tsp horseradish
100 mls yogurt or soured cream
Salt & pepper

Incidentally, you could leave out either the horseradish or the yogurt, or even both if you wish. You would still have a very tasty and attractive vegetable dish.

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