Beetroot Poriyal is a simple South Indian stir-fry made using fresh beetroot, spices, and a touch of coconut or chilli powder. It’s one of those side dishes that brings both colour and nutrition to your plate. In this poriyal, beetroot is lightly cooked until tender, then stir-fried with mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, and a bit of chilli powder to give it a gentle heat. It's not just healthy, it actually tastes good, with that slight crunch, earthy sweetness from the vegetable, and the subtle spice that rounds it out. This beetroot poriyal is perfect with hot rice and sambar or rasam. It’s a quick recipe that adds both flavour and fibre to a simple meal.
Beetroot Poriyal
I just dont know why I am sharing these recipes, because it is so simple to make and also every veggies is prepared this way into poriyal in my day to day life. But I am still sharing this because I wanted to record all out staple recipes in my blog. Poriyal is one of my favorite and we make it almost daily with variety of veggies, you can see my array of poriyal recipes.
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About Beetroot Poriyal
This beetroot poriyal is not loud or rich, but it brings a certain warmth to the plate. The deep pink colour alone makes your meal feel special, even on a regular weekday. It fits into everyday cooking without needing too many ingredients or steps.
It is one of those dishes you make when you want something light, nourishing, and still full of flavour. And even if someone in the family claims they don’t like beetroot, they usually end up enjoying this poriyal. It is a simple food, but with full of nutrients and soul.
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Why this recipe work?
Beetroot is naturally sweet: The vegetables natural sweetness balances perfectly with the spice, making the dish tasty without much effort.
Microwave makes it easy: By cooking the beetroot in the microwave saves time and keeps the colour and nutrients intact.
Why I love this - The bright pink-purple pop on the plate instantly lifts the mood. Even plain rice looks exciting next to it. People think beetroot is boring or “too healthy,” but once it’s cooked right with that slight crisp and spice, it’s honestly so tasty. On tired days, this poriyal ready in minutes with hardly any work.
Simple tempering, big flavour: With just a little mustard, urad dal, and curry leaves the dish have the all flavour you need.
No grinding, no mess: No coconut, no masala paste, nothing extra. Just chop, cook, temper and it is done.
It goes good with everything: We can pair it with sambar, rasam, curd rice. This recipe fits in without overpowering other dishes.
Ingredients
Beetroots: The hero of this dish. It have a bright, earthy, naturally sweet. Chop them small so they cook faster and crisp up nicely later.
Oil: A little oil is all you need for the tempering and to give the beets that light roast in the end.
Mustard Seeds (Kaduku): First thing in the hot oil. They pop and release a nutty smell.
Urad Dal (Ulundu Paruppu): Which gives a lovely crunch. It turns golden in oil and gives the poriyal that perfect bite in between soft beet pieces.
Curry Leaves: Don’t skip these. Even a few leaves change the smell and taste of the dish.
Chilli Powder: It cuts through the sweetness of the beetroot and adds that gentle heat we love with rice.
Hacks
- Beetroot take a little time to chop, and the colour stains everything. So I usually cut them the night before and keep them in a box, which saves time during busy mornings.
- Just pop the chopped vegetable with a splash of water and salt in the microwave. No need to boil or pressure cook. It comes out soft and perfect in 10 minutes.
- Beetroot has that strong, raw smell. A pinch of sugar while stir-frying can mellow it out and balance the spice.
- Tossing in some fresh grated coconut or crushed roasted peanuts in the end gives a lovely texture and twist.
- Use a wide pan. In which beetroot pieces fry better and evenly. In a small pan, they just steam and stay soft.
Beetroot Poriyal Recipe Step by Step
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| Take chopped beets in a microwave safe bowl |
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| add in some water |
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| season with some salt |
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| cover it |
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| cook for 10 mins |
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| beets are perfecly done |
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| heat oil in a kadai and add in seasoning stuffs |
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| add in cooked beets and fry in the oil till it turns little crispy.. |
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| add in some chilli powder |
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| mix it up |
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| serve |
Expert tips
Cut the beetroot small: Smaller pieces cook faster and get a nice crispy edge when fried.
Use the microwave to save time: No need to boil or pressure cook. Microwave with a little water for 10 minutes.
Let the mustard and dal sizzle properly:Wait till mustard pops and urad dal turns golden. Which gives good texture to the dish.
Don’t stir too much while frying: Once you add the beetroot to the pan, leave them alone for a bit. They’ll get crispy if you don’t keep moving them.
Add chilli powder at the end: Sprinkle it after frying so it doesn’t burn. It’ll coat the beetroot better this way.
Variations
Beetroot and Radish Poriyal: This combo brings together the sweetness of beetroot and the sharp bite of radish. When stir-fried with mustard, curry leaves, and a little spice, it becomes a colourful, crunchy, and slightly earthy side dish that goes great with sambar or rasam rice.
Yam Poriyal Recipe (Senaikizhangu Poriyal): Yam has that soft, meaty bite and soaks up flavours beautifully. When shallow-fried with basic tempering and a pinch of chilli powder or sambar powder, it turns golden and crispy on the outside — a real treat with curd rice!
Cheema Chakka Poriyal (Breadfruit Poriyal): This Kerala-style dish uses tender breadfruit cooked till soft, then stir-fried with coconut, mustard, and a few mild spices. It’s creamy inside, slightly crisp outside, and tastes like a mix of potato and jackfruit — comforting and unique.
Carrot Poriyal Recipe: This one’s colourful, mildly sweet, and super simple. Grated or chopped carrots are stir-fried with mustard, dal, and curry leaves — and sometimes coconut is added for a soft, slightly juicy finish. Kids usually love this one!
Potato Poriyal Recipe: Potato poriyal is a classic. Boiled potato cubes are pan-fried with mustard, turmeric, and chilli powder till they get golden and a bit crispy. It’s a total crowd-pleaser and goes with literally anything — from rasam to curd rice.
Vazhakkai Poriyal Recipe (Raw Banana Poriyal): This poriyal has a firm bite and slightly starchy texture. Raw banana pieces are cooked and tossed in a spicy tempering — often with coconut or pepper — and taste amazing with more kuzhambu or paruppu sadam.
FAQ
1. Can I skip the microwave and cook it directly in the pan?
Yes, you can! Just add a splash of water, cover the pan, and cook the beetroot on low flame till it softens. It’ll take a bit longer, but it works just fine.
2. Why does my poriyal turn too soft or mushy?
Probably overcooked or too much water. Beetroots don’t need a lot of moisture. After microwaving, make sure there’s no water left. And don’t stir too much while frying, it breaks the pieces.
3. Can I add coconut to beetroot poriyal?
Of course! Fresh grated coconut adds a soft texture and mild sweetness. Just mix it in at the end, after turning off the stove.
4. What do I serve beetroot poriyal with?
It goes great with rice and sambar, rasam, or even curd rice. Sometimes I even have it with chapati — no rules really!
5. My kids don’t like beetroot. Any tips?
Try grating it instead of chopping. It cooks faster, mixes well with the masala, and is less “beety” in taste. A little coconut or even a tiny pinch of sugar can help too.
6. Can I make this in advance?
Yes, it stays well for a day in the fridge. Just reheat it gently in a pan, no microwave for the second time, it’ll turn too soft.
7. Is this poriyal good for health?
Absolutely! Beetroot is rich in iron and fibre. And since this recipe uses very little oil and simple ingredients, it’s a healthy side dish.
More Beetroot Recipes to Try
📖 Recipe Card
Beetroot Poriyal Recipe (Beetroot Fry)
Equipment
- Cooking pot
Ingredients
- 2 large Beetroots around 2 cups (peeled and chopped )
- ½ cup Water
- 1 tsp Red Chilli powder
- Salt to taste
For Tempering
- 1 tbsp Coconut Oil
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1 tsp Split Urad Dal
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
Instructions
- Take chopped beets in a microwave safe bowl and add in some water, sprinkle some salt and mix well.
- Cook it in microwave for 10 mins. Let it stand for a min in microwave and remove it.
- Now the water must have evaporated, if not drain it.
- Heat oil in a kadai. Add in mustard, urad dal and curry leaves. Let it sizzle.
- Now add in the cooked beets and toss well in the oil.
- Fry till it gets light golden and turns a little crispy.
- Once it turns crispy add in chilli powder and mix well.
- Serve with rice..
Nutrition
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Hari Chandana
Healthy poriyal!!
Hamaree Rasoi
Healthy and tasty looking poriyal. Excellent preparation.
Deepa
Anonymous
Hi arthi. .wonderful Bolg. Excellent work.keep going.step by step photos makes this site excellent.
ktsue
Looks delicious Aarthi! I love beets so I can't wait to try this one. 🙂 Please don't ever feel bad about posting the simple recipes. For myself, and for others who live in other countries, sometimes we have never seen or tried these preparations, so even a simple recipe is new and interesting to us! I also have a request... can you please keep posting a photo of all your ingredients together? This is very helpful for me cooking in America, because sometimes our foods (like onions and tomatoes, for instance) are much larger than they are in India. When I prepare your recipes, I always look at your ingredient photo first, to make sure I am using the correct amount of each vegetable. Thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes and your step-by-step instructions and photos! My husband is from Tamil Nadu, and you help me to put delicious meals on the table that he loves 🙂
morri
I second what ktsue said up there. Don't hesitate to post the basic recipes. I'm always interested to see what other people have for their meals every day, it gives me inspiration.
Vancouverite Tuber
Thanks for posting! Can I feed this to my 13 month old if I go easy on the chilli powder?
Aarthi
@Vancouverite Tuberyes u can give