Beetroot Bhaji’s with Coriander Sambal & Mint Yoghurt

Indian Spiced Beetroot Bhajis, served alongside a vibrant green chilli and coriander sambal and cooling mint yoghurt. The perfect starter, side dish or lunch for any day of the week.

Oh yes, it’s practically Autumn – which means it’s time for our root veggies to shine! This recipe is all about ‘beetroot’, providing you with a super simple yet delicious way to bring out a whole new vibe to those earthy pink veggies.

You can deep- fry these for the ultimate crunch factor OR shallow fry for a slightly lighter version.

A great transitional recipe for this inbetween the seasons period! Plus, who doesn’t love pink.

Ingredients

For the Beetroot Bhajis

• 2 Beetroots (spiralized then trimmed into 8-10cm strips, or peeled and thinly sliced)

• 1 Onion (mandolined/thinly sliced)

• 200g Plain Flour

• 1 tsp Baking powder

• 220ml Cold water

• 2 tsp Garam Masala

• 2 tsp Ground Cumin

• 1 tsp Ground Coriander

• 1/2 tsp Chilli Powder

• 1/2 tsp Tumeric

• Oil for frying

For the Coriander Sambal

• 1 Pack Fresh Coriander

• Juice of 2 Limes

• 2 Green Chillis (Deseeded)

• 1 inch piece of Ginger (peeled)

• 1 Garlic

• 1 Tsp Salt

• 1 tsp Palm Sugar Sugar (or light brown sugar)

• 1 Tsp Cider Vinegar

For the Mint Yoghurt

• 4 Tbsp Plain Yoghurt

• 1 Tbsp Mint Sauce

• Pinch Salt

Method

For the Beetroot Bhajis

1. Place the finely sliced onions into a medium bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder and spices. Mix to fully combine. Gradually pour in the cold water while whisking. You want the texture of thick american-style fluffy pancake batter.

3. Drain the Onions and add to the batter along with the spiralized beetroot. Get in there with your hands and toss it all in the batter to evenly distribute the beetroots and onions.

Deep Frying

1. Heat a Cast Iron pan with enough oil to fill no more than 1/3 of the pan. To test if the oil is ready, insert a chopstick to the hot oil. If small bubbles gather around the chopstick it is ready to rock.

2. Using two tables spoons, grab a generous clump of the ‘Beet Bhaji’ mixture and plop into the hot oil. Fry for about 2-3 minutes until golden and crisp.

3. Once cooked, place on a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain any excess oil and prevent the bhajis from going soggy!

Shallow Fry

1. Heat 3-4 tbsp of oil in a large non stick frying pan.

2. Wet your hands and scoop a palm-sized amount of beetroot mixture. Place onto the hot pan and fry on each side until golden brown. Approx 2-3 mins on each side.

For the Coriander Sambal

1. Add all of the ingredients to a small blender. Blitz until all of the ingredients are combined with no big chunks or lumps.

To Serve

1. Serve immediately while hot and crisp with a drizzle of the Coriander Sambal over the top.

2. Mix the yoghurt, mint sauce and salt in a separate bowl and serve alongside the bhajis for dipping. I like to have extra sambal on the side too for some double dunk action #doubledipping.

TOP TIPS & LINKS

• The Sambal is a MUST make for this recipe – it just takes it to a whole new level of deliciousness and cuts through the earthiness of the beetroot.

• If you don’t have a blender, you can also mash up this sambal in a pestle and mortar. If you are doing it this method, you will want to grate your garlic and ginger pre-bashing as well as chopping the chillis and coriander.

• I highly recommend eating this freshly cooked but if you have leftovers and want to go for round 2 another day, simply place on a baking tray in a hot oven for about 5 minutes until nice and crisp before eating.