DISH NAME : BEETROOT, WATERCRESS & PARMESAN SALAD

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Cooking Time : 8 minutes

Description

Balsamic vinegar is made from a reduction of cooked white grape juice and not a vinegar in the usual sense. Traditionally balsamic vinegar is aged for years. Balsamic vinegar of Modena (a place in Italy), an inexpensive modern imitation of the traditional product is widely available. This is commonly used in salad dressing with oil. Balsamic vinegar is available in some supermarkets. Though its a bit expensive, its worth trying.
Watercress is generally grown floating in water. but we found it grows well in soil. Watercress contains significant amounts of iron, calcium, iodine, and folic acid, in addition to vitamins A and C.
Parmesan cheese is also known as Parmegiano reggiano. It is hard cheese orinating from Italy. This cheese is salty and slightly granular. In Italy it is used in pastas ,pizzas and in some sauces like pesto. Real Parmesan cheese is marked with a stencil, indicating where and when it was made. The cheese is soaked in a brine bath and then aged for a minimum of two years before being sent for sale. Parmesan is available in grated form also.
It is available at lulu hypermarket, kochi.

Note

1) If you cant find parmesan, substitute with Paneer, though the texture will be slightly different.

Method

1) Boil beetroots till done. When cool, peel. Then cut into half roundels.
2) Slice Parmesan into thin pieces.
3) Wash & dry watercress leaves. Keep refrigerated.
4) Meanwhile make balsamic reduction. For the dressing, mix balsamic vinegar with sugar & salt. Boil till its reduced to a thick syrupy consistency. Add pepper powder & olive oil. 5) Pour dressing on salad just before serving.

Serving Suggestions

Serve chilled.