We have a water apple tree in our backyard that has been around for more than a decade, inconspicuously blending into the vegetation. It had never borne fruit until the year we permanently relocated to India. If I wasn't a realist, it would almost seem like divine approval! Jokes apart, let me tell you why that would be nothing more than wishful thinking 😀
Pre-relocation, when we renovated the first floor of our home in Bengaluru and added a second floor, a large part of our garden was, unfortunately, collateral damage. A few trees had to be cut down (our beloved pomegranate tree was one of them 😢), a great degree of soil erosion took place and with all the cement and paint spatters, the soil lost much of its vitality. Several plants simply stopped flowering and fruiting in that ~1.5-year duration. We felt terribly guilty about the aftermath and promised ourselves that once the construction was completed, we would make it a priority to restore whatever we could.
Our backyard has been home to all of our fruit trees, greens and herbs, so that was the first space we tackled. We brought in fresh soil by the bagful, added a generous amount of vermicompost, used natural products for pest-control and began periodically enriching the soil with our own kitchen compost, thanks to our newly adopted wet-waste recycling habits. In keeping with the times, we also adopted smarter plant watering solutions. With Bengaluru’s generous sunshine and rainfall doing their part, things slowly began to look up.
What we did not expect was how quickly our garden would respond. In just a few months, our once barren water apple tree surprised us with its very first fruit. A small but heartwarming reward for our efforts!
That said, there was only so much of the fruit we could finish on its own, so I began thinking of ways to elevate this humble (and somewhat bland) fruit. The water apple from our tree is the small and white variety. It isn't very sweet but has a pleasant juicy texture. A family member suggested making a beetroot and water apple salad with a yogurt-based dressing. I thought it was an interesting idea, so I decided to give it a try.
The first attempt turned out really well, but it got me thinking about how I could enhance the flavor and texture even more. I made it a second time, then a third, each time experimenting with subtle tweaks. The version I’m sharing today is the one I’m finally happy with. The salad is fresh, balanced, flavorful and most importantly, has earned my children's seal of approval.
Let me give you the nutritional rundown of this salad:
- Beetroot is rich in nitrates (great for heart health and blood pressure), folate, and antioxidants (like betalains)
- Both water apples and iceberg lettuce are low in calories and packed with hydration
- Green apples are lower in natural sugar and calories compared to red apples and provide more fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K and antioxidants
- Red onions and garlic offer vitamin C, B vitamins (B6, folate), potassium, and trace amounts of minerals
- Yogurt adds creaminess, probiotics, and a small dose of calcium and protein
- The addition of walnuts gives crunch and omega-3s
- The incorporation of fresh mint and dill into the dressing brightens up the flavor and provides additional nutrients
I have always loved the deep color and earthy flavor of beetroot, so that naturally became the star of the salad. The water apples add a juicy crunch, as does the iceberg lettuce. I thought green apples would lend a nice tartness which they did. Fresh herbs are a must for me in any salad; they instantly lift the flavors, so I always recommend them. Walnuts are my go-to for salads, so they made it in by default. As for the cranberries and feta cheese, those were added simply because I count them among some of my favourite ingredients. And I love a good yoghurt-based salad dressing because it is not only light, creamy and easy to infuse flavor into but less calorific and nutritious to boot.
You will notice that I haven't called my salad beetroot-water apple salad and that is intentional. The only reason I've used water apples in my salad is because I had them as I've already mentioned. This salad will work fine with just apples or pears too. I have included plenty of substitutions and optional ingredients to make this recipe more accommodating and adaptable to what you have on hand.
So, here's presenting my rendition of beetroot-apple salad. Lettuce eat!
