Every Konkani household’s typical lunch menu (in the southern part of India) will consist of rice, some kind of gravy/curry (like dal, sambar, Konkani style coconut curry like ghashi, ambat etc.) and a simple vegetable stir fry along with some curd/yogurt to cool everything down and help with digestion. I love my green beans upkari, fresh green peas upkari or even a pumpkin stir fry any time. But, my favorite vegetable is beetroots! Yes beets! This is one vegetable not really liked by many but I love the color it imparts, the earthy flavor it emanates and the beautiful sweet taste along with a crunchy bite it gives, not to mention, it is extremely nutritious and healthy!
So, today, I will be sharing this healthy and simple, south Indian style vegan beetroot curry/stir fry/palya/upkari /poriyal which uses the highly nutritious beetroot and some minimal basic ingredients available in all Indian pantries! All it needs is some quick chopping and a flash stir fry; a side dish ready in less than 15 minutes! The natural sweetness of beetroots adds a lovely subtle sweet hue to the dish! Addition of mustard, hing and urad dal (split black gram lentils) encompasses the dish with all the south Indian infamous flavors along with coconut oil! All you need to do is temper some mustard and split lentils in coconut oil or any cooking oil. Then sauté some onions in it (adding onions is optional) and then stir in chopped beetroots. Cook until al dente or just cooked or soft depending upon how you like your beets. For added texture and flavor, my favorite add in is grated coconut. Use freshly grated or even frozen coconut.
Just stir in a couple of tablespoons and healthy, simple, nutritious, colorful and super delicious South Indian style beetroot upkari/stir fry is ready to be devoured! Serve with rice and dal as a side dish or just roll it in some rotis, chapattis or phulkas (all Indian flat breads) and enjoy it as a healthy wrap! Sometimes, when I have lots of fresh greens like palak/spinach or even a bunch of salad greens, I love to stir them in along with the chopped beetroots. This time, I had some fresh radish greens which I wanted to use up before they wilted or dried up!
Many a times, radish is sold in stores without the greens but if you find some with the green leaves attached, just grab them! Those green and fresh leaves hide a lot of nutrients in them which are normally thrown away! Just wash and chop radish greens (or even beet greens) and cook along with chopped beets for a lip smacking quick stir fry/upkari!
I love to serve it with some hot steamed rice, our favorite Konkani style dal called Dalithoy and a salad like Mung Bean, Mango and Corn salad or Sprouted Moong Kosambari. Enjoy and Happy Cooking!
Step-by-step method to make easy Beetroot Upkari:
Wash beets well under running water, scrubbing well to remove all dirt and mud sticking to it. Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes
2 medium beetroots 1 small onion, finely chopped For tempering: 1 tsp mustard seeds ½ tsp urad dal/Split black gram lentils ¼ tsp hing/asafetida powder 2 dry red chillies, roughly cut into 2 Few curry leaves Salt to taste 2 tsp coconut oil/any cooking oil For Garnish: Grated coconut for garnishing; about 2 to 3 tbsp
Instructions Notes You can avoid onions in this dish for a no onion-no garlic stir fry. Stir in some turmeric powder if needed for more flavor. Instead of dry red chilies, it is perfectly fine to use fresh green chilies/jalapenos instead. If you love green leafy vegetables, you can stir in fresh spinach, beet greens or even radish greens along with beets for a more nutritious curry! Peel and chop into small cubes. Heat oil in a deep saucepan or kadai and add mustard seeds. Once it starts to pop and crackle, toss in the urad dal and fry again for a few seconds until light golden brown; do not let it burn.
Add the chopped dry red chillies along with hing powder and sauté again for a few seconds. Tip in the finely chopped onions and saute on medium heat for about 1 to 2 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent.
Stir in chopped beetroots, curry leaves and salt to taste.
Mix well and cook covered on medium heat until the beets are slightly soft and cooked about 10 to 12 minutes. How long you cook depends upon whether you want the beets soft and tender or slightly undercooked, with a slight bite to it; the way I like it! Sprinkle water in between if you feel the vegetable is getting too dry. Garnish with grated coconut, give it a good stir and remove from heat.
If you are adding any greens to the curry, like I have added radish greens, stir in some chopped greens along with onions and beets and cook until the beets are soft and tender.
Serve hot with some hot steamed rice and any dal, sambar, rasam or any Konkani style coconut curry like Batata Humman, ghashi or ambat. I love to roll it in a soft roti and enjoy it like a roll! Happy Cooking!
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More beetroot dishes you can try and enjoy:
Beetroot Palle Ghashi (Konkani style beet greens in coconut gravy) Beetroot Rasam/Soup Eggless Chocolate Beetroot Cake
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