A delicious blend of raw beets, pistachios, grape molasses, lemon, garlic, with a hit of heat that creates a crowd-pleasing appetizer. Tegal Rao adapted this recipe from Emily Fiffer and Heather Sperling who run Botanica, a great restaurant in Silver Lake. This is my adaptation. Tegal's version included pomegranate molasses and walnuts, which is also quite fantastic. Feel free to mix it up, make it your own and try different nuts and maybe a date molasses? There are so many options.
Place scrubbed and peeled beets with roots removed into a heavy-duty food processer. Add lemon juice, grape molasses, red pepper flakes, garlic, and salt and pulse for 1 minute or more. Remove the lid and using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides. Add pistachios and pulse. Add grape molasses and continue to blend. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture is smoother, but still a coarse purée.
Taste, and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice if you're like me and like more citrus.
This step can be done a day or two ahead, and I highly recommend it. The flavors really flourish when they have time to meld.
When you are ready to serve, spoon Labneh into a shallow bowl or large plate, spreading it around, but leaving some space around the rim. Place and spread beet dip on top. (Do not mix into the yogurt.)
Top this beauty with drizzled olive oil and reserved chopped pistachios and lemon zest.
Serve with cucumbers, carrots, and pita or sangak chips.
Ingredients
Directions
Place scrubbed and peeled beets with roots removed into a heavy-duty food processer. Add lemon juice, grape molasses, red pepper flakes, garlic, and salt and pulse for 1 minute or more. Remove the lid and using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides. Add pistachios and pulse. Add grape molasses and continue to blend. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture is smoother, but still a coarse purée.
Taste, and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice if you're like me and like more citrus.
This step can be done a day or two ahead, and I highly recommend it. The flavors really flourish when they have time to meld.
When you are ready to serve, spoon Labneh into a shallow bowl or large plate, spreading it around, but leaving some space around the rim. Place and spread beet dip on top. (Do not mix into the yogurt.)
Top this beauty with drizzled olive oil and reserved chopped pistachios and lemon zest.
Serve with cucumbers, carrots, and pita or sangak chips.