I was born in Russia and absolutely love Vinegret. Traditionally it is made with sauerkraut, pickled cucumbers and white potatoes. In Ayurveda, however, we know that any fermented or pickled food increases Pitta dosha, which can cause unpleasant symptoms of increased acidity, irritability and skin rashes, to name a few.
Here is my own version of this root vegetable salad following Ayurvedic principles.
"Vinegret" - Russian Beetroot Salad
A tasty way to enjoy root vegetables
Equipment
- pressure cooker is useful for cooking the beetroot
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp chopped dill and parsley
- 2/3 cup sweet green peas, cooked
Root Vegetables
- 3 large potatoes, cooked till soft in skin and peeled - substitute with cooked Jerusalem artichokes or celeriac
- 3 carrots, cooked in skin till soft but not mushy
- 1 medium beetroot, cooked till soft
Cabbage
- 1 cup finely shredded cabbage
- 2 tbsp cold pressed sunflower oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp water
- pinch hing - optional, omit if it is hot of you display Pitta imbalances, such as skin rashes, irritability, high stomach acidity and migraine headaches
- 1 tbsp lime juice
Cucumber
- 1/2 large cucumber - peeled, cubed
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Note: if you own an electric pressure cooker, the easiest way to cook the root vegetables is to pressure cook them in their skin for 10-11 minutes on a trivet over 1 cup of water. Half the beetroot beforehand.
Cabbage
- In a pan, heat the oil. Add the salt, hing, cabbage and water and cook gently covered for 5 minutes. Let the pan cool for 10 minutes and stir in the lime juice.
Cucumber
- Combine the ingredients, stir and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.
Assemble
- Combine all the ingredients and enjoy at room temperature.
Notes
Rye bread is a perfect accompaniment to a Russian salad. Serve this Vinegret with the Soft Rye Pretzels below for a truly authentic experience:
Love the ingredients so I must try it!!