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Korean raw beetroot salad with onion and garlic

Korean-Style Raw Beet Salad with Onion and Garlic

Very easy to make, with a mild, moderate heat. As it turns out, there are lots of Korean-style beet recipes; this one was shared with me by a Korean family who settled in Russia long ago. It's how they made it back home, tweaked a little for local tastes. You can dial the heat up or down, or skip the hot pepper entirely. Korean-style carrots may be more familiar, but beets have a flavor that's every bit as interesting and deserve a spot on the table too. Give it a try — I think a lot of people will love it.

BLUE-EYED

Recipe author

Korean raw beetroot salad with onion and garlic

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Beets (6 medium unpeeled beets; choose ones with dark, sweet, juicy flesh. Peeled and grated, they'll come to about 1 kg.)

1.25

Onion (medium-large, mild)

Garlic

Vegetable oil

Vinegar essence (A scant spoonful! Use 70% vinegar essence; substituting regular table vinegar is not recommended.)

Sugar (about 1.5 heaping tbsp)

Salt (1 heaping tbsp fine salt; coarse works too)

Coriander seeds (whole coriander seeds)

0.5

Ground black pepper

Hot chili pepper (optional)

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 11 % 2 g

Fats 22 % 4 g

Carbohydrates 67 % 12 g

88 kcal

GI: 17 / 0 / 83

Cooking method

Step 1:

Gather your ingredients.
Step 2:

Peel the raw beets and grate them on a julienne (Korean-salad) grater, aiming for long strands. (A roomy bowl and a pair of gloves make this much easier.) Add 1 heaping tablespoon of salt, mix with your hands, and lightly knead so the beets soften and release their juice. Let them sit for 30–40 minutes, kneading and mixing again after the first 20.
Step 3:

Meanwhile, toast the coriander seeds lightly in a dry skillet, then crush them — but not to a powder.
Step 4:

Peel the onions, cut them into quarters, and slice into very thin strips.
Step 5:

Drain the juice from the beets and squeeze them gently — but don't overdo it, or they'll lose their juiciness.
Step 6:

Pile the seasonings on top of the beets in little mounds: 5–6 cloves of garlic, ½ tablespoon of ground coriander, and 1.5 heaping tablespoons of sugar. Sprinkle with black pepper and, if you like, some red hot pepper. Don't stir the mounds in yet.
Step 7:

Heat a skillet, add 70–80 ml of refined vegetable oil, and get it very hot. Fry the onion until golden.
Step 8:

Straight from the stove, pour the very hot oil over the mounds of seasoning and tip in all the onion, then mix well. Finally, add a scant tablespoon of vinegar essence and stir thoroughly once more.
Step 9:

Cover the bowl and let it cool, then refrigerate for 6–8 hours or overnight to marinate. That's it — your Korean-style beets are ready. Serve them on their own, as a side for meat, potatoes, grains, or pasta, or use them in other salads the way you would Korean-style carrots.

Active prep takes about an hour; the rest is hands-off marinating in the fridge. Raw beets are a wholesome, low-calorie vegetable, though many of us are more used to eating them cooked. Enjoyed in moderation — no more than about 200 g a day, and worked into your diet gradually — raw beets can be a real boost to your health. In this salad the beets are technically raw, but the hot oil and marinade tame them completely, so there's no "raw" flavor left. Beets act as a natural antioxidant, helping the body flush out toxins, excess salts, and unwanted cholesterol. They support the immune system and give a lift to energy and stamina, and they're good for the internal organs overall. Important: raw beets aren't for everyone — if you have an acute gastrointestinal condition or internal bleeding, avoid them. With heartburn, colitis, high-acidity gastritis, irritable bowel syndrome, or gas, raw-beet dishes are off the menu.