Beet Pâté

One of our major endeavors on a regular weekend is to meal-plan for the whole week. My husband and I either prep for all the weeknight dinners or cook large batches of food that can see us through majority of the week. Over the years, we have developed an efficient system that does require some time commitment upfront, but allows us to have a home-cooked meal within minutes of getting home on a busy weeknight.

One of the surprising upsides to the lockdown is that we have been temporarily relieved of the task of cooking/prepping for the whole week. I have been cooking fresh almost every night and relying less on leftovers for dinner. This has also given me a chance to test out small-batch recipes that I typically do not have the luxury to cook when I am tasked with meal planning for the whole week. This beet preparation from Thakurbari-r Ranna, the food journal of the revered Tagore family of Bengal, is one of those small-batch recipes that I have been eyeing for a while.

The lonely beet shriveling up in my fridge was a perfect candidate for this recipe. Well, recipe, is a stretch of the term when it comes to Thakurbari-r Ranna. None of the preparations contained in this diminutive book includes an actual recipe. No measured list of ingredients, no step-by-step directions, no footnotes, no pictures. The editor Purnima Tagore explains that her aunt (Indira Devi) from whom she inherited the journal was a discerning foodie even though she was not an accomplished cook herself. Whenever Indira sampled food that she enjoyed, she would consult the cook and note down the list of ingredients and a rough set of verbal instructions in her journal. Thakurbari-r Ranna is the compilation of these handwritten notes. It is probably not a very helpful cookbook for a starter cook or someone who is exploring Bengali cuisine for the first time, but it evokes nostalgia for a time when recipes were part of oral history. It also contains some unlikely jems like Beet Bata (mash).

Now, I agree that the name Beet Mash, is not particularly appetizing. How many people would be salivating at the idea of eating a bright, red mash that is reminiscent of jarred baby food? I decided that Indira's Beet Mash needed a re-branding so that it could fulfill its true potential. So, here it is as Beet Pâté -- beets and ground poppy seeds cooked to a spreadable consistency -- perfect for the crostinis at your next cocktail party. Just add some crumbled blue cheese on top. If having it Bengali-style, top with fried boris and serve with steamed rice.

What You Need:
1 large beet
3 tbsp poppy seeds
1 tsp nigella seeds
1 dried red chili or 2 Thai bird chilies
11/2 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
11/2 tbsp oil
Crumbled blue cheese or fried boris (for topping)

Directions:
Wash, peel, and remove ends of beet. Cut into 1 inch cubes.
Place beets in a small pan. Add enough water to barely cover the beets. Add 1/2 tbsp salt and bring to a boil. Cook beets till they are soft.
Remove from heat and allow beets to cool. Reserve the water.
Grind the poppy seeds into a fine powder in a spice grinder.
Once cool to touch, mash the beet cubes, by either running them through a food processor, a potato masher, or ricer. You can use some of the water used to boil the beets thin out the mash. The resulting mash should be smooth and free of chunky pieces, but not runny.
Heat oil in a small frying pan over low heat. Add nigella seeds and chili. When the spices sizzle, add the beet mash and 1 tbsp salt and 1/2 tsp sugar. Spread the mash in the pan, folding the nigella seed and chili infused oil throughout the mash. Cook for 2 minutes on low heat.
Add ground poppy seeds and mix into the beet mash, making sure that it is evenly distributed throughout. At this point, you can add about 2 tbsp of the reserved water to the pan to thin out the mash a little. Cook for 2-3 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly. Make sure that all the liquid is absorbed by the mash.
Remove from heat. Bring the mash to room temperature before serving.