BEET TIKKIS WITH BEET GREEN CHUTNEY

Makes eight patties

This recipe minimizes waste by turning red beets into spiced patties and then putting the beet greens into a creamy chutney for dipping. (Or you could copy my kids and pair the patties with ketchup.) With rice flour and cornmeal giving the tikkis their crunch, this dish is also gluten-free. Leftover Beet Tikkis can be kept in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to four days. Warm them up in a toaster oven or on a pan on low to medium heat.

Beet Green Chutney

• 2 heaped cups chopped beet greens

• ½ heaped cup chopped cilantro

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon table salt

• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 serrano chile

• 1⁄3 cup Greek yogurt

Beet Tikkis

• 3 medium red beets, washed and trimmed

• 2 medium potatoes, boiled and peeled

• 2 tablespoons cornmeal

• 5 tablespoons rice flour

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (white or black, or combination of both)

• 1 garlic clove, grated

• ½ inch ginger, grated

• ½ to 1 serrano chile, finely chopped (depending on how spicy you like it)

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1 teaspoon red chile powder

• ½ teaspoon garam masala

• 1½ teaspoons chaat masala

• 1½ teaspoons table salt

• 1⁄3 heaped cup finely chopped cilantro

• Vegetable oil, for shallow frying

• Cilantro leaves, for garnish

For the Beet Green Chutney:

In a high-speed blender, add all the ingredients except the yogurt. Blend until smooth. Add the yogurt and blitz again to a smooth consistency. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge until ready to use.

For the Beet Tikkis:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place the washed beets in aluminum foil, wrap them securely, and place on a baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven for 1 hour.

Poke the beets with a knife to check for doneness. If it slides through easily, it is done. If not, roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, and then check again.

Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Once cooled, use your hands to remove the skin from the beets.

In a large bowl, grate the beets. Squeeze out any excess beet juice into a small bowl by squeezing the mixture between your palms. Place the grated beets back into the large bowl.

Grate the potatoes into the bowl. Add the cornmeal, rice flour, sesame seeds, garlic, ginger, chile, all of the dry spices and cilantro into the bowl.

Using your hands, gently mix until cohesive. Divide into 8 equal portions.

Shape each portion into a tikki: Make a ball between the palms of your hands, then gently flatten it and seal the edges to form a disc about 2½ inches in diameter. Repeat for all the tikkis.

In a medium pan, on medium to high heat, add about ¼ inch of oil for shallow frying. Heat the oil for about 1 minute.

Add 4 tikkis at a time to the pan and fry for about 3 minutes, until lightly browned on the bottom. Flip the tikkis and fry on the other side for about 2-3 minutes, until lightly browned.

Using a spatula, remove the tikkis and place on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb the excess oil. Repeat the frying for the remaining tikkis.

Serve with cilantro, the Beet Green Chutney and/or tomato ketchup.