In Istanbul, beetroot is often served in salads, mixed with garlicky yoghurt, said Özlem Warren. This easy meze is inspired by such dishes. The pomegranate molasses in the dressing adds a natural sweet-and-sourness that goes well with the beetroot, complementing both the cooling yoghurt and the heat of the pul biber oil. You can replace the hazelnuts with any nut, if you wish.
Ingredients (serves 6)
For the garlic yoghurt:
- 170g full-fat Turkish or Greek yoghurt (use a plant-based version, if preferred)
- 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
- salt
- 650g beetroot, raw or pre-cooked
- 4 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
- 85g stoned green olives, halved
- 55g shelled hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
- small handful parsley, finely chopped, to garnish
For the dressing:
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- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- salt
For the pul biber oil:
- ½ tsp pul biber
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- For the garlic yoghurt: take the yoghurt out of the refrigerator about 45 mins before serving, to bring it to room temperature. Stir in the garlic, season with salt and set aside.
- If you are cooking the beetroot, preheat the oven to 200C fan/220C/425F/gas mark 7. Wash the beetroot, trim and pat dry. Wrap each beetroot in foil (first cutting small ones in half lengthways and large ones into quarters), place on a baking tray and bake for about an hour. Allow to cool before peeling and cutting into 5mm-thick slices. If using pre-cooked beetroot, drain the excess liquid from the package, halve any large ones, then cut into 5mm-thick slices.
- Place the beetroot in a bowl, add the spring onions and olives and combine well.
- Toast the hazelnuts in a small, dry pan over a medium heat for 2½-3 mins, until they start to turn golden, stirring often. Remove, and set aside.
- For the dressing: pour the olive oil, pomegranate molasses and lemon juice into a small bowl, season with salt and pepper and give everything a good mix.
- For the pul biber oil: pour the olive oil into a small pan, stir in the pul biber and allow to infuse over a low heat for about 45 seconds.
- Stir most of the hazelnuts into the beetroot mixture, reserving some for garnish. Pour on the dressing, stir to combine, then spoon onto a wide serving dish and top with dollops of the yoghurt, swirling it to reveal the shades of red. Sprinkle with the reserved hazelnuts and the parsley, and drizzle with the pul biber oil.
Taken from “İstanbul: Delicious Recipes from the Heart of the City” by Özlem Warren
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