Beetroot Raita

Beetroot Raita is a colorful, vibrant raita or yogurt dip made with healthy beets, crunchy onions, bell pepper, carrots, tangy curd (yogurt) and seasonings. The lovely dark pink colored raita has a mildly sweet and tangy taste pairing nicely with most Indian meals.

About This Recipe

So when you have some leftover beets, why not make this raita. You will be in for a surprise. Made with fresh earthy and juicy beets, this raita is a winner every time.

To make it more healthier and add some crunch, I also include some carrots, green bell pepper (capsicum) and onions. But do feel free to skip either of these veggies.

Making this beet raita is easy as you don’t need to cook anything. Simply grate the beets, carrots and finely chop the capsicum and onions. To make things more easier, use your food processor.

The raita tastes very different from the other raita varieties that we usually make. It is so flavorful, that you can simply eat it as is.

It also pairs greatly with the staple Indian meal of dal (lentils) and steamed rice. You can also serve it as a side with pulao or biryani.

Bonus is the lovely dark pink color of the raita. Somewhere I read that the entire meal should be colorful. A meal full of different colors is not only balanced in the nutrition aspect, but also subtly affects our nadis and chakras.

How to make Beetroot Raita

1. First you need to prep the raita ingredients. Rinse the veggies first thoroughly in water. Then peel them. Grate 1 medium-sized beetroot and 1 small to medium-sized carrot.

Finely chop 1 medium-sized onion and 1 small capsicum. Set aside the seasonings as well.

2. Whisk or beat 2 cups of curd (yogurt) in a bowl until smooth with the help of a wired whisk. The yogurt can be cold or chilled.

3. Add the finely chopped onions and capsicum. Note that including both onions and capsicum is optional. But they adds a good amount of of crunch in the raita and also make it flavorful.

4. Add the grated beetroot and grated carrot.

5. Mix the veggies with the curd. Add 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder and salt according to taste.

6. Mix again.

7. Garnish with some chopped coriander leaves (cilantro). You can swap coriander leaves with mint leaves.

8. Serve the Beetroot carrot raita with pulao, biryani or with dal and rice. It goes well with most Indian meals. Garnish with a few coriander leaves while serving.

The raita goes well with most rice based dishes and also with biryani or pulao. It tastes so good that you can just have it as is.

It is best to enjoy this raita as soon as you make it. If there are any leftovers, then refrigerate in a covered container for a couple of hours only.

Helpful Tips and Variations

• Veggies: Ensure that the beetroot and carrots are fresh, tender and juicy. You can opt to skip the carrots, onions and capsicum. If skipping carrots, then add some more grated beetroot if you like. 
• Seasonings and spices: Instead of regular salt, you can also use black salt. Opt to add chaat masala if you like. To make a slightly spicy version of the raita, add about ¼ to ½ teaspoon of red chilli powder or add about ½ teaspoon finely chopped green chillies.
• Curd: I recommend to use fresh homemade curd that is not too tangy. If using packaged curd, make sure it is within its shelf-period and has not become very sour.
• Tempering: Please note, I have not tempered the raita as I did not think it was necessary. If you would like to add more flavor to the raita, you could temper it. By tempering I mean frying spices like mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chilies or dried red chillies, curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida (hing) in a bit of oil.
• Fasting: If you are making this raita for fasting or religious vrat, then add edible rock salt (sendha namak) instead of regular salt. Also avoid adding onions when making for religious vrat or fast as onions are usually not allowed for most religious vrat.
• Vegan options: Swap the curd with a plant based yogurt like cashew yogurt, almond yogurt or coconut yogurt.

Few more tasty recipes for you!

• Carrot Chutney
• Beetroot Chutney
• Cucumber Raita
• Vegetable Raita
• Cucumber Pachadi

This Beetroot Raita post from the archives (June 2011) has been republished and updated on 8 October 2021.