Methi Shalgam Roasted Duck with Spicy Beetroot Puree

 

Methi Shalgam prep

Roasted duck, greens, and methi shalgam with a side of 

Greek yoghurt and spicy beetroot puree.

First of all, a few general notes. Although this meal has several components, it is not so formidable to prepare since the methods and ingredients are mostly simple, so take courage; it can be done quite easily. 

Secondly, with appropriate sequencing, this could be a meal substantially prepared by fresh garden ingredients in autumn. Preferably you would want your swede and beetroot to grow until the time of the first frosts, which means you would have to keep some young fenugreek growing on in a pot, ideally indoors or under cover in a greenhouse. The other greens (baby leaf greens and French beans) is just a matter of harvesting at the right time. In this case, I made the recipe in May and used home-grown fenugreek only. The other ingredients were from the supermarket. 

So, roasting the duck, steaming the greens and dolloping Greek yoghurt are straightforward tasks and needs no further instruction. I shall concentrate on the methi shalgam (fenugreek & swede) and spicy beetroot puree for the remainder of this blog. 

In choosing the fenugreek leaves, young (2-3 week old) plants are better than the older stuff, for flavour but also texture. After 4 weeks or so, the fenugreek becomes quite tough and stringy, particularly the stems, so avoid if possible. 

Methi Shalgam

Ingredients:

Medium swede (shalgam), peeled and diced into 2-3cm cubes
Fresh fenugreek leaves (methi) leaves 2 large handfuls
Ghee 2 tablespoons
Dried red chillies, chopped 4
Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon
Ginger finely chopped 1 tablespoon
Garlic finely chopped 6-8 cloves
Red chilli powder 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon
Coriander powder 1 tablespoon
Dried mango (amchur) powder 1 teaspoon
Himalayan salt to taste.

Method:

• Heat ghee, adding dried red chillies and cumin seeds and sauté till fragrant.
• Add ginger and garlic and sauté till golden.
• Add diced swede and mix. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 12-15 minutes.
• Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, amchur and salt and mix well.
• Sauté for a minute. Add methi, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes or till methi is cooked.

Spicy Beetroot Puree

This recipe is taken from Amy Chaplin's wonderful book; Whole Food Cooking Every Day: Transform the Way You Eat with 250 Vegetarian Recipes Free of Gluten, Dairy, and Refined Sugar. Artisan (2019). 

Ingredients:

1 small-medium (6 ounces, 170 g) cooked and cooled red beet 

¼ cup (60 ml) filtered water 

3 tablespoons (1½ ounces, 45 g) raw cashew butter, coconut butter, or tahini 

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (35 ml) raw apple cider vinegar 

2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil 

One ¼-inch (6 mm) slice of a large garlic clove 

½ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste 

1 small (1 ounce, 30 g) red chilli, seeded and chopped

Method: 

• Put the beet, water, nut or coconut butter or tahini, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, chilli and salt in an upright blender and blend until completely smooth. 
• Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and blend again. 
• Adjust the seasoning to taste and blend again. 
• Use immediately, or store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 3 days. 
• Shake well before using. 
• The dressing will thicken once chilled; thin it out with a little water if needed.