Beetroot Curry - Beetroot Sabzi

Beetroot Curry (Beetroot Sabzi)

By Swasthi on December 22, 2023, Comments, Jump to Recipe

This Beetroot Curry is equal parts healthy and delicious! Beets, spices and herbs come together under 25 minutes to a delicious stir fried beetroot sabzi. Serve this dry Beetroot Curry with grains like steamed rice or millets with a side of Dal, Rasam or Sambar. It also goes well with flatbreads like roti, Chapati or plain Parathas. If you are going grain-free, serve it with Quinoa and a Dal fry.

Beetroot Curry - Beetroot Sabzi

While you commonly find beetroots used in salads, soups and juice across the world, this beautiful and nutritious root vegetable is used to make curry, sambar, rasam, kurma, kootu and chutney in Indian cuisine.

About Beetroot Curry

This Beetroot Curry is made in South Indian style and is also known as Poriyal in Tamil, Vepudu in Telugu and is similar to the Kerala Beetroot Thoran.

Here are some beetroot recipes you may want to check
One pot Beetroot Rice
Beetroot Chutney
Beetroot Paratha
Easy Beetroot Salad
Beetroot Halwa

To make the dish, grated or fine chopped beetroots are sautéed briefly with a tempering of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, lentils (optional) ginger/garlic and curry leaves. It is finished off with raw coconut or a spice blend.

Green chilies and red chili (optional) provide the required heat, fresh ginger/garlic impart nice pungent flavors. Lentils provide a crunch and nutty aroma but you are free to omit them if you don’t prefer.

I always stock up on fresh curry leaves which I prefer to throw them in the tempering. However if you do not have, you may omit them or use coriander leaves at the last step for a fresh herby flavor.

Traditionally this beetroot curry is finished off with a handful of raw grated coconut. If that is not your thing, you can leave out that or replace with unsweetened coconut flakes/ dehydrated coconut meat or even with a splash of thick coconut milk, which also adds a little moisture to your dish. Alternately you can also use flaxseed podi, idli podi or spiced peanut powder.

More similar recipes
Sweet Potato Stir Fry
Radish Stir Fry
Carrot Poriyal
Bhindi Fry
Cauliflower Stir Fry

Beetroot Curry Recipe

How to make Beetroot Curry (Stepwise Photos)

1. Wash 2 medium sized beetroots well under running water and peel them. Cut them to quarters. Grate using a large hole grater or chop finely which ever is comfortable. You can also use a food processor to grate or a onion chopper to chop.

2. On a medium flame, heat 1½ tablespoons oil or ghee in a pan. Add

  • ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
  • 1 sprig curry leaves (pat dry first)
  • 1 dried red chili broken – optional
  • 1 teaspoon skinned black gram (urad dal, optional)
  • 1 teaspoon bengal gram (chana dal, optional).

Let the lentils turn golden & aromatic, then add

  • 2 green chilies chopped or slit (or 1 tsp chili flakes)
  • 2 garlic cloves or ¾ inch ginger (peeled, crushed or fine chopped). Saute for a minute and add 1 pinch of hing (asafoetida).
frying ginger chili in oil for beetroot curry

3. Add grated beets and ⅛ teaspoon turmeric. Saute until they are lightly cooked. If your beets are not juicy and are dry, you can cover and cook on a low flame. Usually chopped beetroot takes longer to cook. Cover and cook them on a low heat until tender. If they dry out, simply sprinkle water as needed and continue to cook.

Stir fry veggies lightly for beetroot curry recipe

4. Lastly sprinkle salt as required and ¼ cup coconut (raw/fresh frozen or coconut flakes). Sprinkle lemon juice or 1 to 2 teaspoons spice powder like idli podi or flaxseed podi if you want. Taste test and add more salt, coconut or lemon juice to taste.

addition of grated coconut to pan for beetroot stir fry

Serve beetroot curry or sabzi with rice or chapathi. It goes well with rice and dal.

Beetroot Curry - Beetroot Sabzi recipe

Related Recipes

Recipe Card

beetroot curry recipe

Beetroot Curry (Beetroot Sabzi)

Simple beetroot curry made with basic Indian spices, curry leaves and coconut. This easy to make sabzi goes so well as a side in an Indian meal with rice or roti. It is aromatic, flavorful and delicious.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time6 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time21 minutes
Servings3
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

  • 2 cups beetroot cubed small or grated (2 medium size)
  • ¼ cup raw coconut (or unsweetened shredded coconut)
  • teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (or as needed)

Seasoning

  • tablespoon ghee or oil
  • ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
  • 1 sprig curry leaves (pat dry)
  • 1 pinch asafoetida hing (optional)
  • 2 green chili chopped or slit
  • 1 dried red chili broken – optional
  • 2 garlic cloves or ¾ inch ginger (crushed or fine chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon skinned black gram (urad dal, optional)
  • 1 teaspoon bengal gram (chana dal, optional)


Instructions

How to make Beetroot Curry

  • Wash and peel beetroots. Fine chop (using a chopper) or grate them (using a food processor) using a large hole grater.
  • On a medium flame, heat oil in a pan.
  • Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and dal (optional). Soon the seeds will splutter, keep stirring and fry until the dal turns golden.
  • Next add crushed garlic, green chili, red chilli, curry leaves and hing. Saute till the garlic turns aromatic.
  • Add the grated beetroots and turmeric. Saute for 2 minutes.
  • Cook covered on a low flame until soft and tender. It just takes few minutes. If you use chopped beetroot, you may need to splash some water if they don't cook.
  • When the beetroot is cooked to your liking, stir in the salt and coconut. If you want you may also add 1 to 2 teaspoon of idli podi or flaxseed podi. Taste test and add more salt. Squeeze lemon juice if you want before serving.
  • Beetroot curry is ready to serve with rice or roti.


Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Beetroot Curry (Beetroot Sabzi)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 233 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Cholesterol 12mg4%
Sodium 569mg25%
Potassium 494mg14%
Carbohydrates 27g9%
Fiber 10g42%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 55IU1%
Vitamin C 25.4mg31%
Calcium 55mg6%
Iron 3.1mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

© Swasthi’s Recipes

Beetroot Curry (Beetroot Sabzi)

About Swasthi

I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me

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Comments

Recipe Rating




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5 stars
Delicious and easy! Used unsweetened shredded coconut. Tastes good

5 stars
My picky eating girls love this. Came out good.

5 stars
This came out great
Thanks!

Hi Swasthi,
Can I use dessicated coconut instead of grated coconut? If so, is it same measurement?

5 stars
It’s very easy to follow and consumes less time. I tried many of your recipes. Whenever I want do different dish I always search your recipes. Every one loved to eat when I tried your recipes. Thank you.

5 stars
Easy to follow…I love your recipes…

4 stars
I have tried your recipes, they are very easy to follow. I am one of your many fans.

5 stars
Swasthi, your each and every recipe is incredibly delicious. Today I have prepared beetroot curry with sambar for lunch. It was so healthy and tasty. My family kept on appreciating you throughout the lunchtime.
Thanks a lot. Stay safe.

5 stars
I make it with coconut and sometimes without coconut. Regardless, it is a simple and delicious recipe. My kids are very picky and this is the only way they will enjoy beets. This recipe is part of my family. I make sure to cook at least ones a month.

Excellent beet root swathi my family fully enjoyed the taste thank yu

Love it, it turned out delicious

4 stars
Hello swasthi . Have not tried cooking beet root. Your recipe is easy and simple . Thanks

5 stars
Hi Swathi,
I have tried quite a few recipes from your blog and all turned out very good. Today I tried this recipe and it came out really good. Well explained recipes . Really a great help in cooking. Thank you.

5 stars
Easy to make. The instructions are clear.

5 stars
Never in a million years would I have thought to put these ingredients together. I’m glad I made this recipe though, because it is absolutely delicious! Waiting for the rest of my bets in the garden to get a little bigger and I will make this again. Thanks for this wonderful recipe.

5 stars
Hello,
The dals I have are dried. Shhoukd I soak them first before cooking/grinding?

Thank you.

5 stars
It’s superb all recipes

5 stars
I love all ur recepies which I have tried till now, n it’s awesome.
Actually I don’t know cooking but I’m cooking well by seeing ur receipies n no one is believing even if I say that I don’t know cooking by tasting my food.So thanks a lot bcz all that credit goes to u.
So can u share how to prepare beetroot rasam.

5 stars
Yum! this is the best tasting beetroot dish I’ve ever cooked. I love the crunch and flavour of dal with sweet beets.

5 stars
Excellent recepie…Thank you 🙂

5 stars
Hi,

Salt is not indicated in the second recipe for beetroot curry.(method two). Has salt been omitted by oversight or should salt not be used for this rec.ipe. Please clarify. Thanks.