Beetroot rice recipe – Healthy and delicious rice made with beetroot, peas, spices & herbs in a pulao style. This quick and easy one pot meal is mildly flavored with pulao spices and pudina . An addition of potato & peas balances the taste and flavor of beets in the pulao. But can be skipped.
A raita goes well with this. But for the kids’ lunch box, i pack this with a simple corn carrot salad which i have shared at the end of the post.
Since this beetroot pulao doesn’t have the strong flavor of beets, it will be liked by most kids.
For more Beetroot recipes, you can check
Andhra beetroot Chutney
Kerala beetroot Thoran
Beetroot paratha
Simple beetroot Curry
Beetroot Halwa
Beetroot kosambari
Apple beetroot smoothie
Beetroot rice
Beetroot rice recipe | Beetroot pulao recipe | Beetroot recipe for kids
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 3.5 cups water
- 2 tbsp oil or as needed
- 1 small onion sliced optional
- 2 green chilies (slit) or ½ tsp red chili powder (optional)
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1/8 tsp turmeric or haldi
- ½ cup green peas
- 1 medium beetroot (1 cup chopped or cubed small)
- ½ to ¾ cup potato (optional)
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves
- 2 tbsp mint leaves or pudina (optional)
- salt as needed
Spices for beetroot rice
- 1 small bay leaf or tej patta
- ½ to ¾ tsp cumin or jeera
- 1 small star anise (optional)
- 1 inch cinnamon or dalchini
- 6 cloves or laung
- 2 cardamoms or elaichi
- 1 strand mace or javithri (optional)
How to make the recipe
Preparation for beetroot rice
- Wash rice a few times until the water runs clear. Soak it for at least 30 minutes.
- Pour ghee or oil to a pressure cooker or pot.
- Saute bay leaf, cumin, star anise, cinnamon, cloves and cardamoms in hot oil.
- Then fry the chill and onions till golden stirring often.
- Fry ginger garlic paste until the raw smell vanishes.
How to make beetroot rcie
- Add beetroot, potato and green peas. Then fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pour water and add enough salt.
- When the water begins to boil, add drained rice and cook until done.
- Towards the end when the water is almost evaporated, cover and cook until done.
- If cooking in a pressure cooker – when the water is almost evaporated, cover with the lid and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Switch off before the cooker whistles. or you can cook for 1 whistle on a medium high flame.
- Fluff up the beetroot rice gently and serve with a raita .
NUTRITION (estimation only)
If you are a beginner or new to Indian cooking, I highly suggest you to check the supporting step by step photos for best results. Step by step photos with description available below after the recipe card.
Preparation for beetroot rice recipe
1. Wash and soak rice for about 20 minutes. Chop the veggies to small cubes and keep them ready. Large cubes don’t go well with this rice.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker or pot, saute bay leaf, jeera or shahi jeera, cinnamon, mace, cloves and cardamoms until they begin to sizzle. I also like to add star anise or star flower too. If you like you can use it.
2. Fry onions and chilies until lightly golden. For kids you can deseed chili and use or substitute with red chili powder. If using red chili, use along with veggies later.
3. Add garlic ginger paste and fry until the raw smell goes off.
Making beetroot rice or beetroot pulao
4. Add chopped potatoes, beetroot and peas. I also like to add few coriander and mint leaves. If using chili powder, you can use now. Add turmeric as well, i added to the ginger garlic, so did not use here.
5. Fry everything well for 2 minutes.
6. Pour water and add salt. Stir and check the salt. Water should be slightly salty.
7. Add soaked and drained rice.
8. Cook on a medium heat until the water is almost evaporated but still soggy. Cover the lid and simmer to the lowest flame. Cook until done. If cooking in pressure cooker, cover at this stage (refer the picture). Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes on a low flame. Switch off before the cooker whistles if using basmathi rice. For normal rice, you can allow to whistle once.
9. When the pressure goes off. Fluff up the rice. Beets get settled at the bottom of the pot. Pulao was yellow due to the addition of turmeric.
When fluffed up and mixed, the color of beets spreads to the rice. Beetroot rice can be served with a simple raita.
For the kids’ lunch box, i usually pack a vegetable side like a salad or a dry curry with this pulao. This time it was the corn carrot salad. To make the salad, I cooked corn lightly and set aside to cool. Added the grated carrots, coriander leaves, pepper powder and olive oil. Tossed everything well. My kid sprinkles salt just before eating.
Zanna says
First time I made a dish with white basmati rice in the pressure cooker without it getting mushy, thanks to your perfect instructions! It came out perfectly fluffy and we loved it. In fact (thanks to the herbs and spices) my husband thought it was biryani; that’s how good it was. And I spent less than an hour in the kitchen, even making salad and garlic raita on the side. Happy days 🙂
swasthi says
Hello Zanna,
Glad to know you all loved it. Thank you!
🙂
Saranya says
I tried this..Amazing it was
Very innovative way of using beetroot
swasthi says
Happy to know Saranya
Hemalatha Srinivasan says
Hi swasthi,
Whenever I need a recipe I first check ur blog only, because I feel all recipes u cook like how my tots are…because every women have certain tots how to cook for their family…it resembles the same….thanku so much …
I am following ur blog since 2 years back…..
swasthi says
Hi Hemalatha,
You are most welcome! Thank you so much for following the blog! I guess we both are like minded.
🙂
Hope you enjoy more recipes!
Hemalatha Srinivasan says
Thanku so much…ofcos we are…👍😊
Krithika says
Looks yummy. Must try it. Easy to prepare.. Thank you for the superb recipe.
swasthi says
Welcome Krithika
Yes its easy to make. Thanks for rating. Hope you enjoy the beetroot rice.
Veera says
You made my family love vegetables forever with your delicious recipes. My family loves eating anything from swasthis. Thank you.
swasthi says
Hi Veera,
You made my day! I can feel your joy. Same here when my kids eat the veggies without any fuss. So glad your family loves my recipes. Thanks a lot.
🙂
Sandhya says
Thanks Swathi, have tried lots of your recipes & they are really good
swasthi says
Welcome Sandhya
Glad you like the recipes. Thank you very much.
Gomathi Balamurugan says
Tried ur beetroot rice. Came out well. Yummy
swasthi says
Thanks Gomathi
Suruchi says
Very easy and delicious recipe
swasthi says
Thanks Suruchi
Lalita says
This looks so gorgeous. If I may ask, which tiffin box do you use to pack the school lunches? This looks like a great product. Thanks.
swasthi says
Hi Lalita
Thank you. It is just a steel box with 2 containers which I bought in India. It doesn’t have any brand seal on it.
Srividhya Iyer says
Tried and came out yummy.. Thanks.. How to upload the pic
SALOME JEFFRIES says
VERY NICE AND EASY RECEPE. EVEN THOSE WHO DON’T LIKE BEETROOT WILL LOVE THIS DISH
swasthi says
Thanks for trying
asma says
nice thanks
swasthi says
Welcome Asma
Srilekha says
Nice and easy recipies
swasthi says
Thanks Srilekha
Devi says
Hi. Tried both yr beetroot pulao and paneer butter masala recipes. But I used tofu instead of paneer and low fat milk instead of cream. Both turned out well. Thank you!
swasthi says
Welcome Devi
Glad to know you liked them. Thanks for rating the recipe
shalini says
Hi Swasthi,
My hated vegetable (beetroot). But I must say the awesome taste beetroot rice.
Good swasthi, U only make this possible. U make the hated veggies so tasty, that one starts loving the hated veggies.
Keep it up!
One Question?
I gave this to my friend who resides at 4th flr. Her 6 yrs daughter threw the beetroot pcs & ate, she liked the rice.
So I just want to ask, can we use grated beetroot, If yes then what will be the cooking process, coz grated beetroot cooks very fast & will become mushy.
swasthi says
Hi Shalini
Thanks for trying and glad you liked it. We can use grated beetroot but must not cook with rice as grated beetroot gives a strong flavor to the rice. Like the carrot rice, it must be cooked separately and then mixed with rice. But kids are like that, We need to make them understand that it is healthy. Most kids change when we tell them interesting things about food.
Divya says
Excellent recipe! Best beetroot dish I’ve eaten. Even my 2 yr old ate it! Will make it again & again. Thanks 🙂
swasthi says
Welcome Divya,
Feeling so happy to know that your little one too ate it. Thanks for the feedback. Have a good day.
🙂
ShailaNiranjan says
Hi Swathi
luvd ua Beetroot pulao recipe…luvd by ma family including ma 1 yr old Yaana…TnQ
swasthi says
Welcome Shaila,
I am very happy that your little one too loved it.
My Love and Wishes to Yaana.
Thanks for the feedback
shilpi says
Dear Swasthi, very yummy recipe and very clean blog. Love the pics. Keep it up.
Regards,
Shilpi
swasthi says
Thanks Shilpi
Sandy says
This looks amazing! More lunch-box geared meals please – I need the ideas and inspiration!
swasthi says
Thanks Sandy,
I will be sharing more recipes shortly. you can check this post on lunch box recipes