beautiful beet curry

The beet has never been better!

I find myself truly fascinated by beets, especially during this time of year. I purchase a bunch of beets and let my imagination run wild.

Certainly, the vibrant hot pink color is captivating, but it's also the versatility they offer. Beets have helped me reinvent dishes I've grown tired of and rethink traditional recipes that are no longer part of my diet.

In "Plant-Based Delicious," I used purple beets to create a new version of vegan “meatballs” (beetballs), brownies, and Neapolitan cheesecake. All these recipes were born during my beet obsession.

This beet curry was also created during that same period. It’s easy enough for a weeknight and good enough to serve to dinner guests. But even though it’s my new favorite curry, I chose not to include it in the book to avoid overdoing the beet theme.

I kept it to myself.

But here’s the thing, I've continued making this curry consistently. Maybe a small tweak here or there— a bit more spice one day, a touch more citrus zing the next time—but overall, I've stuck to the recipe.

Usually, when that happens, it's time to share it.

There are a couple of crucial, distinct procedural steps in this recipe.

First, the beet is prepared differently; it's grated, not chopped. Grating the beet significantly shortens the cooking time. Yes, your hands will turn purple (thanks to betalain pigments), and your kitchen might resemble a beet massacre, but it's absolutely worth it.

Second, we're simmering the spices and beet in a light cashew milk rather than heavy cream or coconut milk. Most curries call for coconut milk or cream, but I've steered clear of them for years due to my preference for a low-saturated fat diet. Eventually, I developed my own template for a creamy, coconut-free curry, using cashew milk instead, dramatically reducing the saturated fat content. For context, one can of coconut milk has 55 grams of saturated fat, while ½ cup of cashews (used in this recipe) has only 6 grams of saturated fat. Astounding, isn't it?