BUCKWHEAT BLINIS WITH BEETROOT TAHINI

60 MIN

MAKES 24 BLINIS

WITH EXTRA DIP

FOR THE BEETROOT DIP

– 300g raw beetroot (or about 250g cooked beetroot)

– 1 tsp ground cumin – 1 tsp ground coriander – 1 tsp ground cinnamon – 4 tbsp tahini

– juice of ½ lemon

– 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped

FOR THE BLINIS –1egg

– 85g buckwheat flour – 1 tsp baking powder – 125ml milk

– 2 tbsp butter or ghee FOR THE DRIZZLE

– 1 large handful of mint, parsley or coriander leaves (or a mix of all three), finely chopped

– pinch of chilli flakes or chopped fresh chilli – 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

– 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

If using raw beetroot, scrub well and add them whole and unpeeled to a pan of boiling salted water. Simmer for about 20-30 minutes until tender and easily pierced by a knife. Drain and let cool, then peel the beetroot by rubbing off the skin with your fingers.

Meanwhile, to make the blinis, whisk the egg in a large jug and add the flour, baking powder, a quarter of a teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and a splash of the milk. Mix into a thick paste. Gradually add the rest of the milk, whisking constantly to avoid the mixture getting lumpy.

Heat a large frying pan and add about two teaspoons of butter or ghee. Let it melt and pour in a little of the blini mixture to make a circle about 2-2½cm in diameter.

Make more blinis in this way, and fry them on a medium heat for about a minute, then flip them over, press down slightly, and cook for another minute until lightly browned on each side and cooked throughout.

Lift out and set these aside in a warm oven, and carry on with the rest of the butter or ghee and the remainder of the blini mix. I can fit about eight blinis in one pan, so do them in three batches.

Roughly chop the cooked beetroot. Toast the ground spices in a dry frying pan, then tip these into a blender with the rest of the dip ingredients. Whizz until smooth and season to taste. Add a splash of cold water if it’s too thick.

For the drizzle, mix the chopped herbs, chilli and lemon zest with the oil, and season to taste (or blitz if you like).

To serve, arrange the blinis on a platter, topped with beetroot dip and a little herby drizzle.