Curried Beet Chip Hors d'oeuvres

Boy,  I didn't think today's visual quiz was such a toughie, but until I posted the 2nd photograph, no one even had a guess!

Amy was the first to get very, very close (guessing "dried beets"), followed by Samantha, Carla & jcs. Christine & Jen both guessed some variant of cooked beets, though I was looking for the words "chips" or "dried" in the answers.

Basically, I have too many beets in my fridge right how, so I'm looking for ways to use them up.

Drawing on a few recipes from Epicurious and elsewhere, I fashioned these lovely Curried Beet Chips with Curry Sour Cream Dip. They were a hit at the wine tasting on Sunday. My only change would be to possibly brush the beets with a bit of oil before baking (if you want a bit of gloss on the finished beet chips). You could certainly deep fry these, but I think they'd be too heavy for the accompanying dip.

*Photograph courtesy of M. Wong

Curried Beet Chips with Curry Sour Cream Dip

• 3 medium-large beets, peeled & sliced paper thin
• 2 c. water
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 4 tsp garam masala
• 5 tsp tandoori spices (or similar)*
• 2 tbsp ghee (olive oil will work in a pinch)
• 1 shallot, diced fine
• 1-2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1/8 - 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1 1/2 c. sour cream
• 1/2 c. creme fraiche

1. Preheat oven to 250º
2. Bring the water and sugar to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat, and add 2 tsp each of the garam masala & tandoori spice.
3. Add the beet slices, stirring to coat, and let rest for 10-15 minutes.
4. Drain the beets, and allow to rest another 10 minutes for best crisping. Lay the beets out on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, in a single layer - overlapping edges are fine. Season well with coarse salt and fresh-ground pepper.
5. Bake at 250º for 50-60 minutes, turning once for best results. Remove and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes. (Beet chips will be soft when you take them out, but will crisp up as they cool.)
6. Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium-high heat in a small, heavy skillet.
7. When sizzling, add the shallot and cook until translucent and just beginning to brown.
8. Remove from heat and add the garlic, cayenne and remaining garam masala & tandoori spice.
9. Combine the sour cream and creme fraiche, and add the shallot-spice mixture. Stir well to combine.
10. Serve with the beet chips.

Note: Dip can be made the day ahead - flavors will be even more intense on day 2. Beet chips can be made a day ahead and recrisped briefly in the oven.

*My tandoori spice mix contains coriander, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, paprika, and cayenne