Beetroot rice- a simple and delicious Indian-style rice recipe. In this one-pot rice recipe, the sweetness of beets is balanced with the heat of warm, flavorful Indian spices. It's vegan and gluten-free.
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I love quick and simple one-pot rice recipes. They are easy to make and perfect to pack in your office lunch box. You can also quickly make them for dinner after a busy day.
Today I am sharing one such recipe- Beetroot rice (Indian style). If you like beets, you will definitely like this dish.
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What goes in beetroot rice?
For this beetroot rice recipe, you will be needing the following ingredients:
- Rice
- Beetroot-grated or finely chopped
- Onion- any variety can be used
- Fresh cilantro- though tastes the best in Indian dishes, you can use any fresh herb of your choice
- Curry leaves- fresh/ frozen/ dried all are fine
- Lime- if you prefer lemon, it can be used too
- Green chili pepper- Thai chili pepper/ jalapeno can also be used. Use a hot variety to balance the sweetness of beets.
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Peanuts: Cashews can be used too. If you are allergic to nuts, skip them.
- Whole spices: Bay leaf, black cardamom, clove, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, green cardamom. You don't necessarily need to use all of these. You may skip 1 or 2 if you don't have them. If you want you can add more spices too like cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg, etc.
- Ground spices and seasoning: Black pepper, salt, red chili powder, coriander powder. You can also add other spices like cumin powder, garam masala, etc if you like.
- Cooking oil
- Water/ vegetable stock
Type of rice to use
Basmati rice is the best for making Indian style beetroot rice. However, you can also make it with any other type of rice. Try using long or medium grain size.
Is it required to soak rice?
Soaking the rice is not mandatory. However, if you do that rice will get cooked faster. Just reduce the amount of water given in the recipe, if you have soaked rice.
Can it be made with leftover rice?
Yes, you can make Beetroot rice with leftover rice. To do that add rice once beetroot is cooked and mix everything. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes. No need to add water.
Can it made in a pressure cooker?
Yes, beetroot rice can be made in a pressure cooker too.
If making in a pressure cooker, reduce the amount of water to around 1.5-2 cups.
Serving suggestions
The best way to enjoy Indian beetroot rice is with some chilled raita like potato raita or cucumber raita.
If you are vegan, serve it with a simple Indian kachumber salad.
It can also be served with a chutney like mint chutney, or tomato chutney.
Recipe tips & tricks
- Add more vegetables like green peas, carrots, French beans, etc to make the dish more nutritious.
- Instead of using grated beets, you can also chop them. Beetroot puree can be used too.
- Stir fry rice with beets for a few minutes before adding water.
- To fasten the process of making this dish, soak rice in water while doing all the other preparation. Use less water if rice is soaked.
- You can also make a similar recipe with other vegetables like carrots.
Step by step photo instructions
More Indian rice recipes
Looking for more easy Indian rice recipes? Don't miss to check the following link:
- Chickpea rice (vegan)
- Lemon rice (vegan)
- Jeera rice (vegan)
- Moong dal khichdi (vegan)
- Vegetable rice (vegan)
- Curd rice (vegetarian)
More beetroot recipes
If you love beets then don't miss to try the following beet recipes on my blog:
- Beetroot poriyal (vegan)
- Vegan borscht (vegan)
- Beetroot hummus (vegan)
- Beet salad with feta (vegetarian)
- Beetroot raita (vegetarian)
If you try any of my recipes, please rate ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ it on the recipe card and also leave your feedback in the comments section below. You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and subscribe to my youtube channel.
Recipe
Beetroot rice
Equipment
- Grater
- Pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 2 cups grated beetroot
- 1 medium-sized red onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon grated garlic
- ½ teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 finely chopped green chili
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
- Juice of 1 small lime adjust as per taste
- 6-7 curry leaves
- 2 tablespoons raw peanuts optional
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 3 green cardamoms
- 1 black cardamom
- 1 bay leaf
- 4-5 black peppercorns
- 2 cloves
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
- Ground black pepper as per taste
- Salt as per taste
- 1 tablespoon any cooking oil
- 2.5 cups water or as required to cook rice
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pot and add peanuts. Cook until the peanuts start changing color.
- Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, bay leaf, green cardamom, black cardamom, black peppercorns, and cloves. Saute for a few seconds or until the spices become fragrant.
- Add onion, ginger, garlic, and curry leaves. Cook until the onions start turning brown.
- Next add salt, coriander powder, red chili powder, and ground black pepper. Saute for a few seconds.
- Once the spices become fragrant, add beetroot and green chilies. Saute for around 5-6 minutes.
- Rinse the rice and add to the pot. Stir fry with beets for around 2 minutes before adding the water.
- Add water and some portion of chopped cilantro. Cover the pot and cook for around 12-15 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
- Remove the lid, add lime juice, and the remaining cilantro. Fluff with a fork and mix everything.
- Serve hot with raita or a refreshing salad like kachumber salad.
Notes
- Long grain basmati rice is the best for this recipe, but you can use any long-medium sized grain.
- The rice to water ratio may vary depending upon the quality of rice and the utensil you are using to cook it so, adjust the amount of water accordingly.
- More detailed tips and tricks to make this recipe are given in the post above.
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