Party food should be pretty, healthy and an easy time saving do-ahead recipe, and that’s exactly what beetroot dal chutney filled bread buns are!
Let’s Start With The Healthy Beetroot Dal Chutney Recipe
Making the beetroot puree that has been combined with carrots, red lentils, crushed almonds, garlic and olive oil makes this chutney with a dal texture, a healthy meal by itself.
Fill homemade bread buns and you’ve got an appetizer party dish that will easily take center stage on the buffet table, or a fabulous complete meal to pack for lunches.
Sweet Or Savory Chutney
After-all, a chutney was created, sweet or savory, to be used as a spread or dipping sauce for a main course, which is colorfully delicious when made with beets and carrots.
However, add red lentils to a simple recipe of beetroot chutney, and the texture changes making it spreadable.
What Is Dal?
While dal is actually another word for lentils, it also includes peas and any other seeds in beans; so any split legume is considered a dal in Indian culture.
The addition of red lentils in this beetroot chutney recipe is to give the filling a texture that can be rolled inside of bread dough and baked.
Ingredients in this delicious and very healthy filling, become thick enough to not drip out from the buns, after baked.
Dal and Chutney Ingredients Combined Into Something New
We will cook down the beetroots and carrots to make them soft enough to puree with ground almonds and a small amount of red lentils.
Once this dal chutney recipe is made, it can be used as a dip, sandwich spread, or an addition to vegan food by swapping out the butter for coconut oil.
However, I want to inspire you to fill bread dough with this vibrant purple mixture for a beautifully delicious appetizer bun; a perfect new combination for a finger food.
How To Make Beetroot Dal Chutney
This recipe is filled with yummy tummy inspiration, simply because homemade bread is loved by all and making healthy filled buns takes yummy tummy to a new level!
- Grate the beetroots and carrots.
- Cook them in the juices, vinegar, oil and butter to soften.
- Puree this cooked root mixture with cooked lentils and ground almonds.
An easy to spread dal chutney is now ready to make filled buns, or if you choose not to roll and bake the filling in bread dough you can spread it over naan bread or pita and cut into appetizer size wedges
Beetroot Recipes You’re Sure To Love
I’m not sure which I love more, the color of beets or their earthy yet sweet flavor, lending to both sweet or savory recipes.
I’ve probably gone overboard in creating unusual recipes with beetroots but now that I have, I can’t imagine my kitchen without them.
Just to name a few:
- Beetroot Ice Cream – Garden Inspired Beetroot Ice Cream, naturally sweet and earthy beetroots, cooked and pureed, whirled into a creamy, sweet, rich unusual Ice Cream.
- Spicy Beetroot Chili Ketchup – Made from roasted beets, sweet and sour flavors and a kick of heat from chili peppers, ain’t your kids ketchup!
- Roasted Beet Hummus – This easy Mediterranean Beet Hummus Recipe has all you love in traditional hummus, yet with an earthy sweetness that could make it your favorite!
- Beetroot Spinach Bread Braid – A delicious, healthy, showstopper of beetroot with garlic dough and spinach with lemon dough, braided together.
Similar Recipes Used As Fillings
As you can see in the photos here, I also made my spanakopita filling in the same way as I did this beetroot dal chutney filling.
Spinach filled buns and beetroot filled buns fast became the star on this buffett table I prepared for a friend.
Other similar recipes that can be used in this way such as a homemade Pumpkin Hummus or Beetroot Hummus make delicious healthy fillings to roll and bake in buns.
All of these options make for some great vegan food when you swap out the butter in this recipe for coconut oil!
Equipment Needed
- Large pan – to simmer the filling ingredients until soft.
- Food processor – the carrots and beets need to be grated, which a box grater can be used, almonds need to be ground, and the filling ultimately needs to be pureed, so a food processor is best for these jobs.
- Sharp knife – veggies to chop and buns need to be cut before baking.
- Vegetable peeler – beets and carrots need to be peeled.
- Baking tray or silicone muffin pan, 2 of either you choose to bake the buns with.
Ingredients Needed
- Homemade Bread Dough
- Red lentils
- Beetroots
- Carrots
- Garlic cloves
- Almonds
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Chili pepper or red chili powder
- Garam masala
- Ginger powder
- Coriander powder or cumin powder
- Orange juice or lime juice
- Apple cider vinegar or vinegar of choice
- Egg
Beetroot Dal Chutney Filled Buns
Equipment
- large pan
- Food processor
- Sharp knife
- 2 baking tray or muffin tin
Ingredients
- 1 Homemade Bread Dough Recipe recipe
- 1 cup Red lentils
- 6 Carrots medium
- 2 Beetroots medium
- 4 Garlic cloves
- 1 cup Almonds crushed to a flour
- 8 tbsp Butter
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 Fresh chili pepper or teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 tsp Garam masala
- 2 tsp Ginger powder
- 1 tsp Coriander powder or cumin powder
- 1 tbsp Orange juice or lime
- 2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Salt to taste
- 1 Egg
Instructions
- Cook the lentils according to package directions over low flame until soft (about 15 minutes), in enough cups water to cover with 1 clove of garlic. Cool, strain and set aside.
- Peel the beetroots and carrots and rough chop them. In a food processor run the chopped beetroot, cloves garlic and carrots through the shredder. Or this can be done with a box grater.
- In a large pot drizzle olive oil and melt the butter. Add the juice and vinegar and bring to a low simmer. Add the shredded beets, carrots and garlic. Put a lid on and simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes to soften and bring the natural juices out of the vegetables. Remove the lid and add the spices, cooked lentils, ground almonds and a little water if needed to keep the mixture for becoming too dry. Stir well, replace the lid and allow it to cool slowly in the pan. Taste and adjust salt. Cool and puree. The filling is ready to use or transfer to a large bowl, cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Preheat the oven to 350. Place parchment paper on top of a baking sheet, or muffin tins can be used. When ready to bake the buns, roll out the bread dough after the first rise, to a long strip of dough about 8 inches wide. Spread the filling on top of the dough, leaving an inch along the long side without filling. On the other long side, begin to tightly roll the dough, jelly-roll style, until a long thin rolled dough has been formed. Cut the dough into 24 pieces. Place each piece on the prepared baking sheet or in regular size muffin tin, exposed rolled side up. Whisk the egg with a little water and brush the egg wash over the exposed rolled side.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until the dough is golden brown. Once baked the filling will turn a vibrant purple color.
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I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.