Sri Lankan Beetroot Curry and an Awesome Cookbook Giveaway

Remember a few weeks ago I promised you a giveaway of my favorite new cookbook, Skiz Fernando's Rice & Curry: Sri Lankan Home Cooking? Well, here it is! I knew this book was something special the second I cracked it open, and as it turns I'm not the only one: In the time since I set up this little giveaway, the book has been named by the New York Times as a notable cookbook of 2011.  

The author has kindly given me permission to share a recipe with you to give you a little taste of what you'll find in the book. If you've never had Sri Lankan food, you'll notice that while it does share certain ingredients and flavor profiles with Indian and South Asian cuisines, it's definitely its own thing. Plus, many of the dishes in the book are unique to Fernando's family and you won't find them done exactly the same way anywhere else.

I went crazy and made a ton of dishes from the book, and they were all so good I had a hard time choosing what to post. I could have shared this cauliflower curry:

Or this spicy potato dish:

Then again, this goat curry, spiked with roasted Jaffna curry powder, was incredible:

Ultimately, though, I chose to share this beetroot curry because it is unlike any beet dish I have ever had in my life. If you hate beets, you just might love this. And if you love beets, well, you will go crazy for it.

Beetroot Curry

reprinted with permission from Rice & Curry, by Skiz Fernando

Ingredients 

1 pound (454 grams) beetroots

2 tablespoons oil

1 onion, sliced

1 spring green curry leaves 

2 to 3 green chilies, sliced

3 teaspoons vinegar

1 tablespoon raw curry powder*

1 to 2 teaspoons Cayenne pepper powder

1 cup (250 ml) coconut milk

salt to taste

Peel beets and cut into thin strips about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long. Heat oil in pan. Fry onions, curry leaves, and green chilies until onions are translucent. Add beets, vinegar, curry powder, and cayenne. Mix well. Add coconut milk and salt and simmer until beets are tender (about 20 to 30 minutes).

Raw Curry Powder: 

3 tablespoons coriander seeds
3 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric

Grind ingredients in a coffee grinder and store in a glass jar in the fridge.

The sweet coconut milk and curry leaves and aromatic curry powder combines with the earthy sweetness of the beets to make an unforgettable, hearty, and complex dish.

And now ... on to that giveaway I promised you. I will send one lucky reader a copy of Rice & Curry:

Here's what to do to enter:

- Leave a comment demonstrating that you've read the post and not just looked at the pretty pictures

- Tweet the giveaway, and come back and tell me that you did

- Follow Tasty Trix, and tell me that you did. Or, if you already follow me, remind me!

There you go - three chances to win this fabulous book. It would make a great prezzie for a food loving friend, but if I were you, I'd keep it for myself! It's open to anyone, anywhere. (You hear that, Foodiva?)

The deadline is Tuesday, December 13, and I'll announce the winner - who will be chosen via Random.org -  on Wednesday the 14th. 

Good luck!