Beet Patty

“Beet..sugar beet..sugar beet..beeett..”

That, is actually a line of a song that I’ve had in my head ever since I was still a wee girl. It was from Sesame Street. As most grown ups who loved and still loves Sesame Street just like I do, you must have remembered that in each episode there was a segment about farm or healthy eating. I did not know what beet was at that time but I was eager to know after watching the ‘vampire’ effect one would get after eating beet.

Hooray for Sesame Street and Count von Count..A..A..A..A..A!

I was never a princess type of girl, so eating beet and doing role playing games about monsters and demons with bloody mouth, was really one of my fondest childhood memories. Sometimes I also 'accidentally' smeared the beet juice on my shirt, I said it was my sister's doing but my mom knew me too well to be mad about it. So to me, beet is a fun vegetable.

I want to share you a beet recipe that is so mind-blowingly easy. It is actually a street food in India, or so I’ve heard. I was talking about it with an Indian friend of mine who always sends me some yummy treats each year on Diwali. This beet patty or also called beet chop is not a typical Diwali dish but since it has a superbly beautiful red color then I thought I might as well join the fun. After all, everyday itself is a celebration.

If you happen to notice, or perhaps celebrate it, this year’s Diwali, or also known as Devali or Deepavali, was celebrated on October 26. Diwali which actually translated as “row of lights” from Sanskrit is the festival of light and celebrated by Hindus. In a pea pod, Diwali is a festival that lasts 5 days to honor the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi. So many beautiful oil lamps and lanterns from simple ones made by children to stunningly gorgeous intricate ones made by artisans are lit in homes to invite Lakshmi in. It also celebrates Rama and Sita’s return to Ayodhya after Rama defeated Ravana. In some other parts of India, they also commemorate Lord Krishna’s victory over Narakasura. One of my many dreams is to be able to go to India during Diwali and see that colorful festival with my own eyes. What joy!

Anyhow, I got the Beet Patty recipe from www.sunshineandsmile.com
But there is an ingredient that is not easily found here, it is hing or also known as asafetida. Asafetida is commonly used in traditional Indian dishes and this spice has so many health benefits. But I know that since it is not a common ingredient in Indonesian cooking, many people could get intimidated in trying this recipe. So, I rather brew my own version of Beet Patty for other people to use because, really, beet is very nutritious and I always love to share simple and healthy recipes so it would benefit many people and I won’t let a pinch of asafetida to deprive me from making a yummy dish.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sized beetroot, grated
• a bunch of chives, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, grated
• 1 large onion, boiled and mashed
• 1 tbs flour
• 1/2 cup of cheese, grated
• 1 egg
• 1 tbs bread crumbs
• a pinch of salt
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 medium cucumber, chopped  

Directions: 

-Mix all the ingredients except red onion and cucumber.
-Make the patties from the mixture.
-Refrigerate it for 30 minutes.
-Pre-heat the oven to 175C
-Spray some cooking oil to coat the pan and pan fry the patties in medium  heat for about 4 minutes on each side. Do not press it.
-Transfer the patties to a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
-Serve with chopped red onion and cucumber.

Makes 8 patties. 

It is seriously easy to make these patties and it taste so fresh and light! I may be a bit biased but here I post a picture of my daughter, Amiko, who looks a tad bit messy because I took this picture just exactly when she got home from school. I offered her the patty instantly and asked her opinion about it. She just smiled and commented, "Can I play vampire blood?".

Kids and beets. Bloody cute:)

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