TO ROAST - Pre-heat your oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Wash/scrub off any dirt from the beetroot. Apply a thin film of neutral oil evenly all over. Wrap tightly in foil into a ball. Roast on a baking tray for 45-60 minutes until a skewer easily pierces the flesh with no resistance. Peel roasted beetroot while still warm so the skin comes off easily. Chop into bite sized pieces.
TO BOIL - Peel and chop the beetroot into bite sized pieces. Transfer to a pot, add enough water and some salt to cover the beets. Cook until fork tender.
Once cooled, add salt, sugar, slit green chilli, mix through nicely and let them rest. Roasting or boiling your beetroots can be done ahead of time ( until this step).
When ready to serve, add the yogurt (I prefer thick creamy greek yogurt) and mix nicely. Taste for seasoning at this stage and adjust the salt/sugar as necessary. Particularly if roasting, you might not need or use very little sugar just to balance out the flavours.
For tempering, heat the ghee. Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the heeng (asafoetida and curry leaf) and quickly turn off the flame. Add to the beet-yogurt mixture and its ready to serve. Best eaten cool.
