Eating In

One thing that characterises Keralan cooking is that the main vegetable is quite finely chopped, in the case of the beetroot into 1cm cubes.
12 oz beetroot
2 whole green chillies, split
4 or 5 shallots, chopped
curry leaves
½ tsp black mustard seeds
¼ tsp turmeric
1 clove of garlic, crushed
½ tsp cumin seeds, crushed
½ tsp salt
½ to 1 cup of fresh coconut, grated
oil, coconut oil if you can get it
First parboil but don’t overcook the beetroot. Allow to cool and chop as described above. Heat some oil and fry the black mustard seeds until they have finished popping. Turn the heat down and add the turmeric (this is mostly used quite sparingly) and the crushed cumin seeds. Cook for a few seconds and add the chopped shallots, garlic and green chillies. The chillies should be left whole but split lengthways with a single cut. When these have softened add the salt, beetroot and coconut. Mix well and cook over a very low flame. Taste and adjust the seasoning.