Beetroot Sabzi | Dry Beetroot Curry
Beetroot sabzi recipe with step by step photos. This is a simple, satisfying and healthy Dry Beetroot Curry recipe prepared in South Indian style. The recipe has a base mix of onions, coconut, spices and herbs. It makes for an excellent side dish with any South Indian meal.
Carrots and beetroots often make an appearance on our menu. I always buy both these root veggies and make simple stir fries or add them in pulao or mix veg dishes. During winters, I prepare Carrot Halwa and on occasions Beetroot Halwa too.
This beetroot bhaji has the sweetness of beetroots and coconut along with some heat coming from the green chilies and dry red chilies. The spices added also contribute their own flavors.
Beetroots are rich in iron, calcium and minerals and there are various ways you can include them in your meals. Using the same recipe, you can even make carrot bhaji. A few more Beetroot recipes that I have already shared are:
To prepare this easy beetroot bhaji, I have boiled the beetroots. Since the beetroot is boiled, the bhaji takes very less time to cook. This bhaji tastes delicious and is a regular at home.
Beetroot sabzi goes well as a side dish with dal-rice, rasam-rice and even dishes like Khichdi. You can also serve it as a side dish with chapatis.
How to make Beetroot Sabzi (Dry Beetroot Curry)
1. First rinse 2 medium to large beetroot very well in water. Then add 2.5 cups of water into the pressure cooker. Also, add the beetroot.
You can also choose to steam the beetroots in a pan on the stovetop or the Instant pot adding water as needed.
2. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt in the water. Pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles or 7 to 8 minutes on a medium heat.
3. When the pressure settles down on its own, then only open the pressure cooker’s lid. Remove the cooked beetroot with the help of tongs carefully and set them aside on a plate to cool.
The crimson colored water can be used to make Beetroot Rasam, dal, pulao, soups and even for kneading chapati dough.
4. When the beetroot becomes warm, peel them.
5. Then chop the beetroot finely. Keep aside.
6. Keep all the ingredients ready for making beetroot sabzi.
Making dry beetroot curry
7. Heat a pan or kadai and add 1.5 tablespoons of oil to it. You can use any neutral flavored oil.
8. When the oil becomes hot, lower the flame. Then add the following ingredients:
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- a generous pinch of asafoetida (hing)
- 1 to 2 broken dry red chilies
- 10 to 12 curry leaves
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
9. Saute until the mustard seeds and cumin seeds crackle on a low heat.
10. Add ¼ cup finely chopped onions and 1 to 2 chopped green chilies. Keep the heat low to medium-low.
11. Saute the onions stirring often until they become translucent and are softened.
12. Then add salt as per taste.
13. Stir and mix well.
14. Add the boiled and chopped beetroots.
15. Mix and stir very well.
16. Cover the pan with a lid and cook dry beetroot curry for 2 to 3 mins on a low heat.
17. Since the beetroot is boiled, no need to cook the sabzi for a longer time. After 2 to 3 minutes, remove the lid and stir the beetroot sabzi.
18. Finally add ¼ cup of freshly grated coconut.
19. Stir and mix very well.
20. After 1 to 2 minutes switch off the heat.
Serve the beetroot sabzi hot or warm as a side dish with dal-rice or sambar rice combo. You can also serve it with roti or paratha. It can also be packed in the tiffin box.
If you are looking for more sabzi recipes then do check:
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
For pressure cooking beetroot
- 2 beetroot – medium to large or 1.5 cups chopped cooked beets
- ¼ teaspoon salt or add as required
- 2.5 cups water – for pressure cooking beetroot
Other ingredients
- 1.5 tablespoons oil
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds – black
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- 1 to 2 dry red chilies – broken into two and seeds removed
- 1 to 2 green chilies – chopped finely or ½ to 1 teaspoon chopped
- 10 to 12 curry leaves
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric (ground turmeric)
- ¼ cup finely chopped onions or 1 small onion finely chopped
- salt
- ¼ cup fresh grated coconut as per taste
Instructions
Cooking beetroot
- Rinse the beetroot first very well in water.
- Then add 2.5 cups of water in the pressure cooker. Add the beetroot.
- Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon of salt.
- Pressure cook the beetroot for 3 to 4 whistles or for 7 to 8 minutes.
- Once the pressure drops down in the cooker on its own, remove the beetroot. You can use the water in soups, dals, rasams or to knead chapati dough.
- When the beetroot, become warm, peel and chop them finely.
Making beetroot sabji
- Heat a pan and then add oil.
- When the oil becomes hot, reduce the flame to a low. Then add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, a generous pinch of asafoetida, broken dry red chilies, curry leaves and turmeric.
- Saute until the mustard seeds and cumin seeds crackle on low heat. Ensure that the spices do not burn
- Then add finely chopped onions and finely chopped green chilies.
- Saute the onions until they become translucent.
- Sprinkle salt as required. Stir and mix well.
- Add the boiled, chopped beetroot. Mix and stir well.
- Cover with a lid and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on a low heat.
- Since the beetroot is boiled, no need to cook the sabzi for a longer time.
- Remove the lid, stir the sabzi. Finally, add freshly grated coconut.
- Stir well. After 1 to 2 minutes switch off the heat.
- Serve beetroot sabzi hot or warm as a side dish with your meals.
Notes
- You could use raw beetroot also for this recipe. But it will take a longer time to cook.
- If using raw beets, then finely chop or grate them. Add the finely chop beets, after the onions are sautéed. Add some water and mix. Cover pan with lid and cook beets until fork tender.
- If you don’t have fresh coconut then use desiccated coconut. Desiccated coconut also tastes good in the dry beetroot curry.
- This recipe can be scaled as per your requirements.
Nutrition
This Beetroot Sabji post from the blog archives first published in September 2016 has been republished and updated on 26 July 2022.
Hi.
I really enjoyed this recipe. One difference is I was short on time so instead of pressure cooking beets, I shredded them and cooked from raw. Was perfect.
Thank you for this feedback and for sharing the variation you made to the recipe. Thanks for the rating too.
A simple and healthy sabzi.adding grated coconut enhances the taste.works well as a side dish.
thank you winnie. coconut always make any sabzi or gravy taste so good and yes, beetroot sabzi is good as a side dish.
I love all your recipes Ma’am…. I’m a big fan of ur blog!!!!
thank you cornelia ????????
Nice recipe ,????… Beetroot goes best with Chana dal.. just soak dal for half and.hour give Ur masala pepper or chilli Ur choice add Chana dal and beetroot the cook in 4 wshtle or until.fully cooked it will b yum .. try it..
fazila, thanks for sharing this combo of chana dal and beetroot. i will give a try. as it is i do add chana dal in some sabzi recipes.
really awsome very very usefull
thanks mana.
Very tasty, I would have never thought that the beetroot-coconut mix would taste well, but it certainly did. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
welcome olga, thanks for positive views.