One of the greatest upsides to having little kids in New York City is Central Park. It’s the ultimate backyard and we’re there everyday. We watch as the flowers bloom in Springtime. We slide down snowy hills in the Winter. We go fishing and birding and swimming and ice skating in Central Park. During this Year of Covid, it’s no exaggeration to say it has been our oasis and it’s the highlight of each day. The ability to get outdoors within minutes is a great way to shake that cooped up feeling of small apartment living during a global pandemic. 

As we were walking through the North Woods and marveling at the number of birds migrating through New York City, I was thinking about how changing Fall colors never goes out of style. Each year, it’s so thrilling to see deep green leaves turning gold, crimson, and orange, as if we’re seeing it for the very first time. Once we got back home, I was thinking about what to make for dinner when I spied a bag of red and yellow baby beets in the vegetable drawer. Something about their earthiness reminded me of the park, their ruddy texture was reminiscent of the rugged tree bark, and their richly ruby and gold hues of the many falling leaves.

Every week, I’ve been getting carrots from a terrific Vermont farm called Pete’s Greens through FreshDirect, our online grocer. Pete’s Greens grow actual baby carrots that they sell washed and ready to eat…and these are real baby carrots, small and misshapen, not those chlorine-washed orange bullets in small bags. When I saw that Pete’s had beets too, I immediately added them to my cart. Having just walked through all that beautiful foliage, I knew exactly what to make: a South Indian-inspired pan-seared dish that will change your mind forever about beets. Especially if you think you don’t like beets. Fresh beets are combined with tempered spices in hot oil, together with big dashes of coconut and a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

What is tempering? It’s a hallmark Indian technique that often combines whole spices (like mustard seeds) and ground spices (like cayenne and asafetida) in hot oil that form the basis of a unique flavor profile. Don’t worry, the mustard seeds don’t give it a mustard flavor at all, even if you like mustard, in fact, that’s where the smoky flavor comes from. The preparation might sound complex, but it’s quite easy if you have a few key ingredients on hand, and it preserves the simplicity and beauty of the beets and yet, elevates it at the same time. The end result are roasted beets that are smoky, salty, sweet, and lemony all at the same time. The coconut just rounds the whole thing out and you get a good crunch from whole spices like mustard seeds and yellow split peas. 

When you’re doing your next grocery shop, it doesn’t have to be at a specialty market, because you can find quite a few things at any local supermarket. Even if you add a couple of things like whole mustard seeds, yellow split peas, and unsweetened coconut to your cart, you will be able to create robust vegetable dishes that are crackling with tempered spices and great aroma.

Don’t worry if you can’t find all the ingredients below, you don’t need to have every single one. Things like “urad” dal are only found in specialty Indian grocers. Honestly, just having some type of whole mustard seeds will make for a special dish. I served these baby beets with simple stewed red lentils, oven-roasted cauliflower, and steamed basmati rice. It really hit the spot on a cold November evening. 

Smoky Beets with Coconut and Lemon

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb baby beets, peeled and diced
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (you can find yellow mustard seeds in most grocers, look for McCormick, they carry it)
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 teaspoon channa dal (yellow split peas, you can find in any grocer)
• 1 teaspoon urad dal (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon asafetida (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons shredded coconut (fresh OR unsweetened dry coconut, I always keep a bag of Arrowhead Mills unsweetened shredded coconut in my fridge or pantry)
• 1 lemon, juiced

Preparation

1. Peel and dice the beets and set aside in a small bowl.
2. In a medium-sized skillet or saucepan, heat vegetable oil and mustard seeds on a low-to-medium flame. Close with tightly fitting lid. Once mustard seeds have stopped popping (it will sound like little popcorn popping), remove pan from heat and add crushed red pepper, channa dal, urad dal, and asafetida. Give it a swirl and return to heat, immediately adding the beets and mixing to combine.
3. Add salt and coconut and mix well.
4. Increase the flame to medium and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the beets are tender, add lemon juice, combine once more, and top with more coconut and salt to taste.