Beetroot Rice Pulao

Beetroot rice is a delicious and healthy one pot rice dish made with beetroot, basmati rice, spices and herbs. This simple pulao style dish is super quick to make and calls for nothing more than pantry staples. Serve it with plain yogurt or a raita for a complete meal. This beetroot rice can also be carried to office/ school. It’s a kids’ friendly dish if you skip the chilies. This beet rice is a great way to sneak the healthy veggie into your kids’ menu.

My kids’ never liked beets until I introduced them to this rice. Mildly flavoured with mint leaves and whole spices, this dish also has some green peas & potatoes added to it for a sweeter flavor.

However you can easily tweak it to your personal preferences by swapping mint leaves with coriander leaves and boiled/canned chickpeas for green peas. You may completely skip the potatoes in the recipe. Some crunchy papads, cucumber raita or plain yogurt or a vegetable salad will compliment your meal.

I have made this post in a stovetop Indian pressure cooker. But can be easily made in an Instant pot or electric cooker or even a regular pot.

To make the recipe in Instant pot, follow all the steps on the saute mode and pressure cook for 6 mins. Wait for natural pressure release. If you do not have a cooker then just make it in a pot. Bring the water to a boil and cook covered on a low heat until done.

To make it in an electric cooker, perform the saute steps in a pan and then transfer to a electric cooker along with rice and water. Cook on the rice mode.

For more Beetroot recipes, you can check
Andhra beetroot Chutney
Kerala beetroot Thoran
Beetroot paratha
Simple beetroot Curry
Beetroot Halwa
Apple beetroot smoothie

How to Make Beetroot Rice

1. Wash and soak 1 cup basmati rice for about 20 minutes. Chop the 1 small beetroot to cubes (¾ to 1 cup chopped ) and keep them ready. Large cubes of beetroot don’t go well with this rice. Prepare the following veggies as well.

• 1 small onion (¼ cup sliced, optional)
• 1 green chili (slit)
• ½ tablespoon ginger garlic paste (or ½ tablespoon each fine chopped)
• ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ to ⅓ cup green peas (or ½ cup boiled/canned chana/ chickpeas)
• ⅓ cup potato (1 small, chopped, optional)
• 1 tablespoon coriander leaves finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon mint leaves /pudina finely chopped (optional)

2. Heat 1½ tablespoons oil in a pressure cooker or pot. Add 1 bay leaf, ½ teaspoon jeera or shahi jeera, 1 inch cinnamon, 3 cloves and 2 cardamoms. I also like to add star anise & a strand of mace. If you like you can use it.

3. When they begin to sizzle, add the onions and chilies. Saute them 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.

4. Add ½ tablespoon garlic ginger paste and fry until the raw smell goes off, for about 30 to 60 mins.

5. 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. Cover the lid and pressure cook for 1 whistle on a medium flame. If cooking in a pot, simply bring the water to a boil and turn down the heat. Cook covered on a low heat until done.

9. When the pressure drops on its own, open the lid. 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.

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