Beetroot Butter: Make It Savoury Or The Sweet Way

A smooth and creamy whipped butter, light as air, spooned on top of lightly charred sourdough toast is the equivalent to culinary hedonism and why shouldn’t it be? A simple technique of whipping the butter at high speed to build air inside the fat, that took over viral internet food trends, feels like an enriched version of the dairy product that everyone is obsessed with. Whipped butters make for instant flavour boosters to add to breakfasts or can be served as a small plate to pass around at intimate gatherings.

A jewel-toned pink beetroot butter is such an underrated and undiscovered treasure, mainly because its earthy sweetness works beautifully to highlight all kinds of herbs and warm spices. There is no denying that it looks great when plated beautifully, nestled on a bed of crispy toast or piled on top of veggies. Having two variations – a savoury and sweet variation, means that you can whip up this ruby butter in a matter of moments, as long as you have a roasted and peeled beetroot stashed somewhere in your fridge.

Also Read:

Beetroot Kheer Recipe: A Delicious Twist To Your Indian Pudding

Savoury Beetroot Butter

Ingredients:

• 2 medium-sized beetroot
• 1 whole head garlic
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 300 grams good-quality butter, softened

Method:

• Dice the beetroot into fours or sixths and place on a baking tray. Drizzle lightly with oil and wrap the wedges inside a piece of foil. Roast in an oven for 20-25 minutes.
• Roast the head of garlic over an open flame until the outside is completely charred. Cool and peel the cloves. Add the roasted beetroot and garlic to a blender and blitz into a paste.
• Add the soft, room temperature butter to a mixing bowl along with the beetroot mixture, chop up the thyme leaves and add that in as well. Mix thoroughly, add lemon juice and season with salt.
• Garnish with dill leaves or more thyme, spoon on top of hot toast or serve with crunchy pita bread.

Sweet Beetroot Butter

Ingredients: 

• 2 medium-sized beetroot
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 pod cardamom
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 300 grams good quality butter

Method:

• Follow the first step exactly as mentioned for the savoury beetroot butter on top.
• Mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and vanilla in a bowl. Crush the cardamom pod lightly with the back of a spoon to remove the seeds and powder them before adding to the sugar and spices.
• Add the sugar mixture to the butter and mix everything to combine. Shred the roasted beetroot in a food processor to a coarse rubble and add to the butter-sugar mix.
• Mix together with a spatula and wrap in cling film and allow to set in the fridge for an hour. Unwrap, bring to room temperature and serve with vanilla sponge cake or a sweet bread.