For many, the only memory of eating beetroot is the one where we reluctantly swallowed canteen-style potato cutlets tainted with cubes of red beetroot. Beet, the bully (since it taints everything it comes in contact with), can be a super veggie if it falls in the right hands. Dig deep into classic Indian cookbooks and one will find how this underground vegetable was skillfully used by master chefs to create dishes such as Chukandar Gosht, Chukandar Ka Raita, Beetroot Halwa all hailing from different parts of the country. But due to tedious cooking processes, the vegetable was largely forgotten, until recently.

Beetroot Keftedes — an appetiser designed on the lines of Lebanese falafel, with hints of beetroot and feta cheese. Beet is a versatile ingredient which has been an underdog for a while now. But chefs have finally realised how it can swing the way they want. Pic/Bipin Kokate