Beet Root Tikkis with Popcorn Sauce

A great recipe which is a combination of bountiful health derived from Beetroot and Peanuts and oozing flavours of Popcorn for adults and children respectively. And for those with a weight loss agenda, this for starters is not fried and can be made with just a tad amount of oil.

When my mother-in-law told about it, my initial reservation was how these contrasting relishes would taste together: Of course, this was completely dispelled when I first tried it for Raksha Bandhan.

The picture associated with this recipe is of big roundels; however, personally, I love to make bite-size servings which make it a perfect party appetizer.

Beetroot Tikki With Popcorn Sauce
Course	Appetizers
Servings	18 big roundels or 30 to 35 bite-sized Sauce makes one big cup
Preparation Time	30 minutes
Cook time	20 minutes
Ingredients for the Tikkis (1 cup = 250 ml)
4 Nos.	Medium size potatoes, boiled and peeled
2 Nos.	Large Beetroots
1 Cup	Fresh Breadcrumbs
1 cup	Peanuts roasted and crushed coarsely
1 Tbsp	Ginger Paste
1 Tbsp	Green Chilli Paste
1 Tbsp	Mango (Amchoor) powder
Salt	To taste
Oil	for roasting and shallow frying
Ingredients for the Popcorn Sauce
3/4 packet	Butter flavoured popcorn (ACT II)
1 Ltr	Full Fat Milk
5 TbSp	Grated Cheddar Cheese
4-5 Strands	Saffron
1/3 cup	Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 TbSp	Amul Cream
Salt	only if needed
Black Pepper	( coarsely ground ) to taste
Ingredients for Garnishing A Handful of Fresh micro greens
Instructions for the Tikki
1.	Apply oil on the beetroots. Cover with foil paper. Roast in a pre-heated oven at 190 Deg. C (170 fan). After ½ hour check whether they are roasted well and soft.
2.	Grate the roasted beetroots.
3.	Grate the Potatoes
4.	Add the remaining ingredients and mix well (please feel free to adjust the quantities as per your taste)
5.	Shape into either big roundels or bite size
6.	Shallow fry them in a pan with a little oil.
Instructions for the Sauce
1.	Pop the corn packet in a microwave for three minutes
2.	Boil milk in the pan
3.	Add the popcorn to the milk and allow the milk to scald
4.	Strain the mixture through a sieve. Discard the popcorn pieces. The milk should be infused with the butter-flavoured popcorn.
5.	Put the infused milk back on the flame
6.	Add the cheese and mix well
7.	Add the saffron with milk and mix well allowing the mixture to boil and thicken a bit. Add the cream and mix. Switch off the flame.
8.	Add salt and pepper to taste. (Salt, only if required as the popcorn and cheese both contain it)
The consistency of the Sauce should be neither too thick nor too thin Assembling and Serving Serve half a teaspoon of the warm Sauce on a hot roasted beetroot tikki. Garnish with fresh micro greens. Alternatively, brush the sauce on a plate. Arrange the tikkis on it. Garnish with fresh micro greens.