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Beet, feta and water amaranth salad

Sometimes, one ingredient can be such an inspiration for a whole recipe to be built around it. Feta cheese for us is one such ingredient. Neither S nor I can resist the intense saltiness and rich flavour of feta. That so much salt isn't good for our health is easily forgotten when we lay our hands o
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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 large or 3 beets medium
  • 100 grams feta cheese
  • 1 cup water amaranth washed , picked and towel dried leaves .
Dressing.
  • 1 tbsp olive oil .
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice .
  • 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard .
  • 1 clove garlic .
  • black pepper . Freshly cracked

Method
 

  1. Pressure cook whole beets. I generally cook it for 3 whistles and then leave it on sim for 7-10 minutes. Remove when cooled. Slide off the skins. They'll come off very easily. Dice into medium sized cubes and keep refrigerated until it's time to use them.
  2. Crumble / dice feta into small cubes.
  3. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for dressing. I did not use salt in this as the salt in feta makes up for it. Add the beets, greens and feta. Toss with a gentle hand so as not to get the feta all mashed up. Serve chilled with soup or pasta.

Notes

Note:
More about ponnaganti koora from the ENVIS website.
Useful resource - The ENVIS centre on medicinal plants has listed a huge variety of species with vernacular names and medicinal benefits making it easy for us to identify new plants.
I learnt a recipe for ponnaganti koora from my neighbour where it is cooked with split moong dal with a light tadka. This made a delicate tasting accompaniment to rotis.
A bunch of fresh water amaranth
Water amaranth also features on some other food blogs -
Anjali in her blog Annaparabrahma does a stir fryusing these Honegone greens (that's what its called in Kannada).
Srivalli does a stuffed paratha with these greens.
Talimpu has a recipe similar to the one given to me by my neighbour, the one with moong dal.