This flavorful side dish or salad is similar to a raita which is a traditional Indian sauce or side. I based this recipe off a traditional raita but because I didn’t have all of the ingredients, I had to make some swaps. I used a thicker Skyr type yogurt, swapped parsley for cilantro and since I did not have chickpeas, I used a small canned white bean. Sometimes cooking is all about using what you have on hand. These flavors work so well together. The subtle sweetness from the beets, tang and creaminess from yogurt, smokiness from cumin, and an earthy, lemony tang from the sumac. Because I used a thicker yogurt, this is more of a side-dish or salad than a sauce. Serve this as a meal your favorite bread and maybe a simple pickled cucumber and red onion salad.
Beets, Chickpeas and Yogurt
Ingredients
1 cup plain yogurt, regular or Greek-style
4 small cooked beets, about 8 ounces
1 14-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons chopped parsley or cilantro
Sprinkle of sumac (optional) or a few wedges of lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Mix all ingredients except the sumac, if using, in a medium bowl. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a sprinkle of sumac or wedge of lemon.
judymatusky.com
I used one cup of plain (Greek) yogurt, but I also used pickled beets for some zing! Great recipe!!! Thank you so much for sharing ❤️
I love the idea of using pickled beets! Thanks for sharing.
Great recipe! I love using what I have on hand, and this is a perfect example of how we can still create amazing dishes with swaps and substitutions. I’m curious, have you tried making this recipe with other types of beans? If so, which ones worked best? Thank you!
Joseph White
Thank you for your comment. I think any white bean would be great in this dish.
In your video you said to use 2 cups of plain yogurt, but in the written recipe it instructs to only use one cup. Which way is best? Thank you!
I think the original recipe called for 1 cup but I used 2 to make it creamier. If you use 1 cup, it just won’t have as much of a yogurt sauce. Start with 1 cup and see what you think. You can always add more depending on your preference. Thanks for your question.