Cool Summer Salad

Today was a perfect Saturday morning. The air was cool outside and the morning sun was shining bright. After a good night's sleep, I walked in the backyard with a cup of tea and with no to-do tasks in my mind. Such mornings are very rare, when I am not thinking of the next thing to do while finishing the one in hand. One cup of tea was followed by another, and yet there was no rush!

This flawless start followed through for the rest of the day. I almost felt like I had forgotten what it feels like to take things so easy. To top that, Pratik asked if I could make one of his favorite beetroot salads for lunch. How perfect, I thought.

On went the apron, out came the grater and 15 minutes later, my man, who otherwise goes berserk over candy and chocolate, was eating this fantastic beetroot salad.

Beets add the vibrance, peanuts & yogurt add the creaminess and lettuce and carrots add the crunchiness to this cool summer salad.

Ingredients:

For the salad-
1 medium beetroot, shredded
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/2 lettuce head, cut into 4 quarters
2 tbs lemon juice

For the peanut dressing-
2-3 tbs lightly salted peanuts
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 tsp red chilli power
Salt

Method:

1. Lightly mix the shredded beetroot, carrot, 1 tbs of lemon juice and some salt.
2. In a coffee grinder, grind the peanuts until they are finely powdered.
3. Mix the powdered peanuts, yogurt & red chilli powder with some salt. This is the dressing for the salad.

Serving:

Arrange the four quarters of the lettuce on a serving plate & drizzle 1tbs lemon juice. Add a dollop of the peanut dressing over the lettuce cups. Spoon the shredded beetroot and carrot over the dressing. Add more dressing on the top and garnish with some chopped cilantro, if desired.