Beetroot Masala Gel Ketchup

Instructions

1. Blend the chopped beetroot with a little water and filter the juice. Do not throw away the pulp, make beetroot pudding instead (recipe coming up next!).
2. In a medium pan, over low-medium heat, cook the beet juice with spices (anise, cinnamon, chillies and garam masala) with until it comes to a simmer and smells a little less raw.
3. In the meantime, mix together the Agar agar, Xanthan gum and salt.
4. Raise heat to medium to let the beet juice come to a rolling boil, and whisk in the dry ingredients.
5. As it is boiling, prepare an ice bath (bowl of ice with another small bowl sitting on the ice)
6. Pour the hot beetroot juice through a sieve into a bowl set over an ice bath. Discard the whole spices caught in the sieve.
7. Refrigerate and let it firm up completely.
8. Blend the cool, firm jelly till pureéd completely. Strain over a sieve.