Pineapple and Beetroot Salad from Naivasha

11. February, 2009

I remember vividly when I saw this salad for the first time. I was in Naivasha, Kenya, at a small lodge just by Lake Naivasha. For those of you unfamiliar to Kenya, Naivasha is north of Nairobi and is famous for Lake Naivasha which attracts very many bird watchers each year (365 bird species) as well as Crescent Island (where Born Free and other movies were filmed). I had a group of 4 Icelandic women who were looking for an adventure while their husbands hiked Kilimanjaro and as always I was very curious about the food being served. I asked the chef about the ingredients. 'Pineapples and beetroot' he said. 'That's it?' I asked. 'Yes' he replied. I have to admit I was highly sceptical. That could not taste good...or could it? I decided that a salad this beautiful in colour deserved to be tested out. I wasn't disappointed because the texture of the pineapple is very different to the texture of the beetroot, complimenting each other beautifully. The colours are also amazing. The deep reddish purple of the beetroot against the bright, sunny pineapple is gorgeous on any table. The salad is also extremely healthy since beetroots are packed with antioxidants, iron, folate, vitamin C, calcium, manganese and more. They are extremely good for you if your haemoglobin levels are low. Pineapples are very good for the digestive system since they contain the enzyme Bromelain which breaks down areas of inflamed body tissue and is therefore good for those who suffer from gout, asthma, hay fever and more. It also helps prevent blood clots. Pineapples also contain Beta Carotene and vitamin C. Tasty, healthy, exotic and beautiful (hmmm sounds a bit like a personal ad doesn't it)!

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A very colourful salad, with deep red beetroots and bright yellow pineapple

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This recipe is:

Egg free
Gluten free
Lactose (dairy) free
Nut free
Vegan

Pineapple and Beetroot Salad from Naivasha

Serves 4 as a side dish

Ingredients

2 small beetroots (beets), cooked and cut into bite size pieces
One quarter of a pineapple, ripe, cut into bite size pieces
¼ teaspoon salt (Himalaya or sea salt)

Preparation

Place the 2 beetroots in the 1 litre saucepan and fill up with water. Bring to a boil.
Add the ¼ teaspoon salt and let the beetroots simmer for 20-25 minutes.
When ready, place under cold water for a couple of minutes to cool down.
Meanwhile cut the stalky top and the base off the pineapple and discard these. Now stand the pineapple upright on its base and, using a sharp knife, cut away the skin in long strips, working your way all round the fruit. Cut pineapple in 4 pieces lengthwise and cut the hard middle part away as well. Cut the pineapple in small pieces (like sugar cubes).
Peel the beetroot with a small, sharp knife. I recommend using plastic gloves since the beetroots are very strong in colour and will have everything pink in minutes!
Cut the beetroots in small pieces (like sugar cubes).
Add one handful beetroot in a glass bowl (avoid using plastic as it will stain).
Add one handful pineapple to the bowl.
Repeat until everything is finished.
Do not stir the salad as the beetroots will make the pineapple pink!

Tips

You can add oranges to this salad.
The salad will keep for a couple of day although it is recommended that the ingredients are not combined until the last minute to avoid the beetroot colouring the pineapple.
Avoid storing beetroot in plastic containers since it will stain the plastic.