Beetroot curry with cashews

This spicy beetroot curry is just the right food to combat the cold autumn winds and winter blues with a blaze of color. Let's get to the pots! 

Orange pumpkins, sunny yellow corn and deep red beetroot ... the bright colors of autumn cooking are my consolation, they ease the pain of saying goodbye to the cheerful summer feeling.

In Ayurveda, the transition to the colder season is divided into two phases: late summer and fall. And it is true that this change from the extreme heat of summer to the cold and wet winds of autumn is a gradual process in nature. In late summer, the warmth of summer is still present and this solar power also gives us a good dose of energy and vigor. In the kitchen, we are often busy preserving at this time, processing nuts, berries and fruit and preserving them for the dark winter. From November onwards, nature also goes into its dormant state, it is often uncomfortably wet and cold outside and we feel the need to retreat and relax.

Perhaps you can also feel how the seasonal changes on the outside affect your inner balance. From an Ayurvedic point of view, the Vata element dominates in autumn with the characteristics of cold, dry, rough and mobile. Possible consequences of this include nervousness, dry skin, a tendency to constipation and general immune deficiency. To counteract this, we want to create a balance in the autumn kitchen with grounding, warm and moisturizing dishes.

Beetroot curry is ideal for this transitional period, as beetroot stimulates the liver and has a detoxifying and immune-boosting effect. They have an earthy, slightly sweet taste and are a vegetable rich in iron and vitamins. I love this colorful power tuber!

This spicy beetroot curry is just the right food to combat the cold autumn winds and winter blues with a blaze of color. So, get to the pots! 

BEETROOT CURRY WITH CASHEWS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 500 g uncooked beetroot
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ginger powder
• some chili powder (adjust the amount depending on the desired spiciness)
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 3 cloves
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 5 capsules cardamom
• 10 curry leaves (if not available then 4 bay leaves)
• 200 ml coconut milk
• 200 ml water
• 1 handful of cashew nuts
• Salt, pepper
• fresh parsley or coriander, finely chopped

PREPARATION

Peel the beetroot and cut into evenly thick sticks of approx. 1 cm. Crush the cumin and cloves in a mortar and set aside with the remaining spices.

Heat the coconut oil in a pan and fry the mustard seeds in it until they start to pop. Quickly add the finely chopped onions and fry everything briefly. Season with the ground cumin, cloves, ginger powder, turmeric and chili. Add the beetroot pieces to the spice mixture in the pan and stir to distribute the spices evenly. Sauté everything for a few minutes.

Pound the cardamom pods once with a mortar so that the green shell bursts open, allowing the aroma to spread better in the stock. Add these cardamom pods to the vegetables with the curry leaves (alternative: bay leaves) and deglaze with coconut milk and water. The beetroot should be just covered with liquid.

Cover the curry and simmer gently over a medium heat for approx. 10 minutes until the beetroot is cooked through and soft.

Briefly roast the cashew nuts in a non-stick pan without fat - or make this fine "Spicy cashew nuts mixture".

Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, remove the curry leaves and cardamom pods. To finish, sprinkle the dish with chopped herbs and scatter the cashews generously over the beetroot curry.

ENJOY!

Daniela