Beetroot Thoran (Kerala Style Sautéed Beetroot)

It is not that the richest or the most lavish looking dishes will always be wanted by the body, mind and soul. Sometimes, the flavors and textures of simplicity wrapped in a dish like an easy sautéed vegetable also is quite magical. Just what you need to elevate your mood and spirits. That’s exactly what this Kerala style Beetroot Thoran does. It is quick, yet a delectable, mildly spiced and slightly sweet dry dish made with gorgeous beetroots and earthy coconut. It is a vegan recipe as well as a nutritious one too.

About Beetroot Thoran

A thoran is a traditional dry veggie preparation and a specialty from the cuisine of Kerala. It can be made with a variety of finely chopped or grated vegetables.

The Beetroot Thoran is also one such variation. There are many ways thoran can be made with or without the inclusion of some spices and herbs.

It is also one of the veggie preparations that is served in the Sadya – which is a grand vegetarian feast made during Hindu festivals and celebrations in Kerala and served on a plantain leaf.

If you do not like the raw taste of beetroot, then you should try this Beetroot Thoran recipe. It tastes great. It goes very well with roti, paratha, especially the Kerala Paratha and even steamed rice. You can also have it as a side dish.

To make the recipe, the beets are sautéed and cooked in a mix of pearl onions or onions, curry leaves, mustard seeds, green chillies or red chillies, a few spices and later finished with plenty of coconut.

In this Beetroot Thoran recipe, I wanted some spiciness that would soften the sweetness of beetroot and coconut. So, I added both red chilli and green chilli along with ginger.

I have also added coriander powder, red chili powder and crushed whole garam masala. This is my variation to this recipe. Gladly, it turns out to be just as delectable as any other version.

More On The Recipe

For this Beetroot Thoran, you can either chop the beetroots finely or grate them. However, if you want to cook this thoran quickly, then go for grated beetroots as they always cook faster as compared to chopped ones.

For all those who do not have fresh coconut, you can easily use dry or desiccated coconut as an alternative. Of course, fresh coconut adds to a unique and distinct flavor.

But the thoran tastes equally good with desiccated coconut too. Also note that Coconut oil is a must when you make this recipe.

While growing up, my mother used to make this Beetroot Thoran and Beetroot Halwa. I have also tried this dish at many Kerala restaurants in Mumbai and the taste of each of those have been really awesome.

Since my childhood, I have loved beetroot cooked in this way. So, my mother often made this thoran at home. Similar to this Beetroot Thoran, any other veggie thoran variety is also primarily vegan.

Since the spices used in a typical thoran preparation are subtle and the dish is simple, yet flavorful, it is also considered as hearty comfort food.

Some of my favorite thoran variations are Beans Thoran, Cabbage Thoran and Ash Gourd Thoran.

Expert Tips

1. You can use grated or finely chopped beetroot for this recipe. However, if you want to fasten the cooking process, opt for grated beetroot.
2. To facilitate faster cooking of the beetroot, you can also add about ¼ cup or ⅓ cup of water to the beetroot.
3. If the moisture dries up and the thoran looks dry while cooking, then add some water as needed.
4. You can also cover and cook the beetroot which will make them cook faster.
5. Thoran is generally never spicy, but feel free to add more green chillies if you want to increase the spice factor in the dish.

This Beetroot Thoran post from the archives, first published on July 2010 has been republished and updated on November 2022.