Beetroot Rice (Flavorful and Slightly Spicy)

Today, I would like to introduce how to make Flavorful and Slightly Spicy Beetroot Rice!! This Beetroot Rice is a healthy and tasty meal with the goodness of beetroot. It makes a perfect vegan dish for lunch or dinner with a salad or you can also serve it with non-vegan side dishes.

How About Trying Out
a New Beetroot Recipe!!

In addition to bringing color to your plate, beetroot or beet is a highly nutritious vegetable packed with essential vitamins and minerals.

However, sadly, beetroot is often used raw in salads or cooked in dishes like soup. Don’t you think it is time for all of us to try some new beetroot recipes other than having them in a salad or soup form?

Beetroot’s rich red color and sweetness are the perfect addition to this recipe. What better way to bring the wholesome beetroot and rice together, than this Beetroot Rice recipe!

What is Beetroot?

While beet is the most common name for this vegetable in the US, it’s referred to as beetroot in some English-speaking countries. Beetroots, a root vegetable, are a versatile type of vegetable that is packed with health-promoting nutrients, providing a wide range of benefits, so some people call them a superfood.

Beetroots are usually reddish-purple, although some varieties are yellow or white. They’re known for their earthy flavor and sweetness. The whole plant is edible although the leaves and stems are best enjoyed when the plants are young.

About the Recipe

This Beetroot Rice is made with slightly spicy curried beetroot and cooked flavorful basmati rice. It is not only a flavorful rice dish, but also a tasty healthy meal. 

Since it uses herbs like curry leaves, pandan leaves, and some Sri Lankan spices, the flavor is more Sri Lankan. However, please modify it as you like and make it with the available ingredients.

This Beetroot Rice is slightly spicy from the green chilies, red chili powder, and other spices that nicely balance with the sweetness of the beetroot. However, feel free to alter the quantity of spices as per your taste.

In this recipe, the beetroot is quite the dish’s highlight, and I like to make it with only beetroot. However, if you want to add some more vegetables to this recipe, I suggest that green peas, potatoes, and carrots can be a good addition.

Rice to water ratio is very important. If you add more than enough water, you will have mushy rice. 1 cup of Basmati rice to 1 1/2 cups water is the best ratio for perfectly cooked rice.

Steps to Make

1. Soak and drain the rice
2. Make the beetroot curry
3. Cook the rice
4. Make the beetroot rice

• Soak rice for about 30 minutes as it helps grain cook evenly with less water.
• I usually soak rice while preparing the rest of the ingredients by arranging, chopping, or cutting them.
• Then make the beetroot curry while draining the water from the rice.
• once you have cooked both beetroot curry and rice, you can make the beetroot curry in no time.

Ingredients for Beetroot Rice

Rice – I usually use basmati rice because it is readily available and perfect for making this dish. The quantity of water is decided by the type of rice used. If you use another variety of rice, make sure to adjust the water ratio and cooking time.

Beetroot – It is the key ingredient.

Vegetables – I didn’t use but you can also add other vegetables such as peas, potatoes, carrots, or cauliflower to improve the nutrients.

Fresh Ingredients – Onion or shallots, Ginger, Garlic, Curry leaves (if not available, skip), Pandan leaves (if not available, skip), Green chilies (if not available, skip)

Whole Spices – Mustard seeds, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and dry roasted fenugreek seeds

Powdered Spices – Turmeric, Sri Lankan curry powder, Chili powder (optional), Pepper

Other ingredients – oil, salt, coconut milk, lemon or lime juice

Serving Suggestions

Beetroot rice tastes great on its own with a side of fresh salad. If you feel like adding a crunchy side, papads are also great. You can also serve it with non-vegan side dishes such as baked, roasted, stewed, grilled meat, kebabs, and fried fish.

Storage Suggestions

You can store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days. If you like to freeze it, put it in a zip lock bag and then in the freezer for about 3 months. You can reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Useful Tips

1. The recipe can be doubled or tripled.
2. Feel free to alter the quantity of spices as per your taste.
3. Make sure that the beetroot is chopped finely.
4. You can use grated beetroot instead of chopped.
5. Do not add too much water to cook the rice as it makes it mushy.

Beetroot Rice (Step-by-Step recipe)

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 3 to 4

Ingredients

For Beetroot Curry

• 2 tbsp oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 2 to 3 green cardamoms
• 1-inch cinnamon
• 2 to 3 cloves
• ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 medium-sized onion, sliced
• 7 to 8 curry leaves
• 2-inch piece of pandan leaves
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced or paste
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced or paste
• 1 to 2 green chilies, chopped
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 chili powder (optional)
• 1/2 Sri Lankan basic curry powder (see the notes)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 300 g beetroot, finely chopped
• 2 small size tomatoes, chopped
• 200 ml thin coconut milk
• 1 tbsp lemon/lime juice

For Rice

• 2 cups basmati rice (see the notes)
• water as required – for soaking rice
• 2 to 3 green cardamoms
• 1-inch cinnamon
• 2 to 3 cloves
• 7 to 8 curry leaves
• 2-inch piece of pandan leaves
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced or paste
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced or paste
• 1/4 medium-sized onion, sliced
• 3 cups water or broth (see the notes)

Note:

• I used Japanese cups 1 cup = 200 ml
• 1 cup of Basmati rice to 1 1/2 cups water is the best ratio for perfectly cooked rice
• I used Sri Lankan basic curry powder, however, you can skip it or use a curry powder of your choice.

Instructions

Preparing the rice

Rinse rice under running water a couple of times. Then soak the rice in enough water for a minimum of 30 minutes. Rice should be fully covered in water while soaking.

Making beetroot curry

Peel the skin. Chop the beetroot finely.

You can also grate beetroots instead of chopping.

Prepare the fresh ingredients; ginger, garlic, curry leaves, pandan leaf, onion, green chilies, and tomato

Prepare the spices; mustard seeds, cinnamon, fenugreek, turmeric, chili powder, Sri Lankan basic curry powder, pepper, and salt

Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat. When hot, add mustard seeds, and fry for a few seconds until they crackle. Add ginger, garlic, green chilies, pandan, and curry leaves. Saute until fragrant and the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away. Then add onion and saute until soft and translucent.

Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, curry powder, salt and pepper. Stir well until all the ingredients are well combined. Do it quickly, so that the spices do not get burnt.

Now add finely chopped beetroot. Stir and sauté for a minute.

Add the tomatoes and pour in the thin coconut milk. Mix well. Bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the flame to low and simmer for about 5 minutes, covering with a lid, until beetroots become slightly soft. Make sure to stir in between.

When the gravy has reduced to your preferred level, turn off the heat and squeeze 1/2 of a wedge of lime or lemon. Let the curry sit for a while as it helps the beets absorb the flavors and thicken the gravy.

You can also serve this beetroot curry with white rice.

Cooking the rice

After 30 minutes, drain the water from the rice. Set the rice aside while you prepare the beetroot curry.

Prepare the ingredients for cooking rice.

Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Add ginger, garlic, pandan, and curry leaves. Saute until fragrant and the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away. Then add onion and saute until soft and translucent. Add the dry spices, turmeric, and salt. Mix well.

Add the rice and saute it for 2-3 mins.

Depending on the type of rice, add water as needed. For basmati rice, I added 3 cups of water for 2 cups of rice. Stir everything to mix, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the pot, and cook until the rice is cooked and all the water is evaporated.

Cooking Beetroot Rice

Once the rice is cooked, open the lid. Add the cooked beetroot and gently mix with the rice.

Turn the heat off. Let the pan sit in the residual heat for about 10 minutes until all the water is evaporated.

Serve with vegetarian or non-vegetarian side dishes as desired.

Looking for more Sri Lankan recipes?
Take a quick look at the recipe collection HERE

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I love hearing from you so feel free to leave a comment on the post.
If you make any of my recipes, I’d love to see pics of your creations
#joyofeatingtheworld or @joyofeatingtheworld

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