Beetroot Poriyal | Indian Sauteed Beets

What is Poriyal

Pori means stir-fry in Tamil and Poriyal refers to the cooking process involved in preparing the dish. It's simple, mildly spiced dry stir fry that's made using a single vegetable. It's packed with flavors and garnished mostly with coconut. Poriyal is a versatile South Indian side dish, and you can experiment with different vegetables and spices to create your variation.

You can use different steamed, shredded, or finely chopped vegetables like beetroot, raw bananas, carrots, potatoes, green beans, chow chow, pumpkin, etc. Every South Indian region has its variation and a name for it - Poriyal, Thoran, Palya, Vepudu, and Palya. The recipe I am sharing today is Beetroot Poriyal with coconut. It may be different to the ones you see on the internet because this is the way my family makes it. The ground coconut paste is what makes this Beetroot Curry unique.

South Indian style Beetroot Poriyal

It's also called Beetroot Thoran, Indian-style Beetroot Salad, Sauteed Beets, Beetroot Curry, or Beetroot Stir-Fry! It's a simple Indian stir-fry recipe that is loved by all. This kind of Poriyal is also served in South Indian restaurants. This South Indian dish involves stir-frying beetroot with spices and coarsely ground coconut paste (similar to Sundal). It's generally made without onion and garlic.

Beetroot Thoran is simple, colorful, and a flavorful side dish that can be served with steamed rice and sambhar or rasam. Beetroot is a very nutritious root vegetable which makes it a great option to add to your weekly diet. It has an earthy umami flavor and crunchy texture. Beets are also naturally sweet and very versatile to cook with. They are also a natural blood purifier.

Why make this

• It's very nutritious, uses less oil
• Is vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free
• Great way to add beetroot to the diet
• Make it in 20 minutes
• Simple and easy to make

Beetroot - It is a spring and fall vegetable. Use good quality fresh organic beets. It helps if they are not too big so that they cook evenly. If the beets are large, cut them in half and cook them. Since beets are a root vegetable, wash them well before cooking. If you get beets with leaves, use them too. Beet greens are edible and nutritious. I have used precooked beetroot in this Indian Thoran recipe. Cook or steam them in the Microwave/Instant Pot/Stovetop. You can also use raw beets. Frozen beets can also be used.

Coconut - Freshly grated coconut works best in this vegan Poriyal recipe. But if you don't have access to fresh coconut use frozen. Unsweetened desiccated coconut or coconut shreds can also be used. Coconut not only compliments to the sweet taste of the beets but also gives this South Indian style Poriyal a nice texture.

Spices - mustard seeds, cumin seeds, gluten-free asafoetida, curry leaves, and dried red chillies give this Beetroot Poriyal recipe the required spice and flavor.

Aromatics - Onion, ginger, green chillies, and cilantro give this warm Beetroot Salad an aromatic flavor.

Spice Blends - Turmeric powder, and Sambhar powder are added to this Indian Beetroot Poriyal recipe to enhance the dish. These spice blends lend an earthy and nutty flavor to the pan-fried beets.

Cooking oil - I like to use coconut oil or Dairy Free Ghee when making Beetroot Thoran. Sesame oil or any other vegetable oil can also be used.

I have used cooked beets in this recipe. But if you are using raw beetroot, wash, and then boil or steam them till they are almost done. Peel the skin and then chop the beets into small, uniform bite-sized pieces. Wear gloves while chopping beets if needed. Cooking beets makes chopping very easy. Keep them aside for now.

1. Add coconut (reserve a tablespoon for garnish), ginger, and green chillies to a blender jar.
2. Grind it to a smooth paste by adding ½ cup water or thin coconut milk. 
3. Heat coconut oil in a pan. Temper mustard seeds, and cumin seeds. Once they splutter, asafoetida, add urad dal, chana dal, curry leaves, and dried red chillies. Fry for 30 seconds. 
4. Add onion and saute till they turn translucent.

5. Now add the coconut paste to the pan. Fry for a minute.
6. Then add the turmeric powder and sambhar powder. Saute for a minute. 
7. Add the (cooked) chopped beets to the pan along with salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Chef tip - Sprinkle coconut milk, cover and cook to give it some moistness and flavor.
8. Garnish with chopped cilantro and coconut, mix, and then take it off the flame. Squeeze some lemon juice on top if you want to make it tangy.

Serve this vegan Beetroot Poriyal as a side with rice and Sambhar, Rasam, or Dal and some papad to go with it. It also pairs well with Curd Rice, or Coconut Rice. You can also enjoy it as a salad. KR likes to eat Beetroot Thoran with roti or chapati. I love to mix it with plain rice and eat it. This homemade Beetroot Fry sabzi tastes so good and comforting. Some grain-free options to pair this beetroot stir-fry with are quinoa or cauliflower rice.

Add it to your menu rotation, pack it in lunchboxes, or enjoy this nutritious beetroot stir-fry for lunch, dinner, or brunch. Give this quick-fix stir-fried beets recipe a try! Poriyals like these are also prepared on special festive occasions.

Skip adding sambhar powder if you want. You can also add any Madras curry powder, chilly powder, or rasam powder instead. Coconut, ginger, and green chillies can also be added without grinding. Grinding just helps bind the dry curry together. Add a little sugar too since it enhances the sweetness of beets. Skip adding onion if you don't want to add. There is another quick version to make this bright and vibrant Beetroot Poriyal. Skip making the coconut paste. Add coconut as a garnish instead.

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