Tamarind & Honey Roasted Beetroot

Beetroot lovers, rejoice! Here’s a recipe that elevates the humble vegetable to heavenly status.

Beetroot haters & those sitting on the fence, if I could have just one chance to win you over to the Beetroot Lovers’ Club, I would start here. Consider this your free trial membership. Also, question: does the word conjure up images of the vinegared variety? If that’s the case, then open your mind to the possiblities of the raw, bunched kind. Please.

And now is the best time to do it as beetroot is in season from July to October in the UK.

I remember on one episode of ‘Come Dine With Me‘, a beetroot farmer from Lincolnshire makes all three courses with it and (spoiler alert) wins the competition!

That’s how versatile this vegetable is. Treat her right and she will give you not just her glorious puce colour but also a wide range of textures and flavours. And here, roasted for just 20 minutes, she transforms into sweet & sour candy-like niblets that you can use as a side dish, a topping for salads (see below) or eat as a snack.

If you’re a vegan, you can substitute maple syrup for the honey.

Tamarind & Honey (Or Maple Syrup) Roasted Beetroot

Roasting enhances the sweet flavour of the beetroot, which is balanced by the tartness of the tamarind paste. The honey (or maple syrup for the vegan version) makes it gorgeously sticky.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Course Salad, Side Dish, Snack

Servings 2

Ingredients

500 g fresh beetroot
2 tbsp honey (or maple syrup if you want to make it vegan)
2 tbsp tamarind paste (tamarind pastes vary in strength, so you might need more or less - my favourite is Priya brand)
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp salt
chilli flakes, sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200° C (400° F).
Peel and chop the beetroot into ½" cubes.
In a medium bowl, mix together the honey/maple syrup, tamarind paste, oil and salt.
Add the beetroot, toss and spread out on a greased baking tray or pan, ensuring not to crowd the pieces.
Bake for about 20 minutes until cooked through and sticky.

Notes

An original recipe from Capers in my Kitchen.

Keyword beetroot, honey, maple, salad, side, snack, sour, sticky, sweet, syrup, tamarind, vegetables

A suggestion for a simple salad:

Make twice the amount of the tamarind honey dressing above.

Arrange a bag of your salad leaves on a platter. Top with some thinly sliced red onions, the cooled roasted beetroot, some halved, hardboiled eggs, walnut or pecan pieces (walnut with beetroot is always a good idea). Drizzle with the dressing and serve.