Beetroot Upkari- healthy, quick and nutritious 15-minute south Indian style beetroot stir fry with onions and coconut.
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!
Healthy, quick and nutritious 15-minute south Indian style beetroot stir fry or upkari with onions and coconut.
Ingredients
- 2 medium beetroots
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 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
- Grated coconut for garnishing; about 2 to 3 tbsp
Instructions
- Wash beets well under running water, scrubbing well to remove all dirt and mud sticking to it.
- 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 sauté 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.
- 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!
- Enjoy and Happy Cooking!
Notes
You can cook vegetables like carrots, green beans, cabbage, potatoes etc. the same way.
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!
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.
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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Lovely delicious healthy innovative upkari ., a must try veggy .indeed
Thanks a ton dear Sangeeta <3 <3 I love beets and this is one of my favorite ways to enjoy this sweet and colorful veggie!
I like beet root , but normally in salads. This beautifully coloured upkari is looking so good and it is so easy to make too. I'll certainly give it a try
Thanks dear <3
This Beetroot upkari looks so tempting.We make it like this at my place too.Beautiful share.
Thanks Preethi 🙂 We love it too in my place!
We in Malayalam call this uperi, a healthy and delicious dish. Will make this at least once in a week
Sound similar to upkari 🙂 Thanks dear; me too!
Beetroot upkari looking perfecly cooked and delicious. Lovely presentation with step by step direction.I will cook it one day for sure.
Please do dear 🙂 An easy and super healthy beet dish everyone in your family will love!
The beetroot upkari looks colorful and inviting di ! I make this preparation but use chana dal instead of onion. Next time i will try out your recipe as variation.
Thanks Poonam 🙂 Onions give it a lovely texture and flavor...I do use chana dal too sometimes. 🙂
I have not made this beetroot dish, as hubby can't have raw beetroot, I'll try this dish. Sounds so delicious and tempting.
Thanks dear Jagruti 🙂 You must try this easy south Indian way of eating beets!
Looks yum and I will love it everyday.
Thanks dear <3
A simple and yet delicious looking upkari. I've use beetroot in so many forms, soups, salads, in rice, cutlets, bakes etc but have not tried a beetroot sabji. Your preparation is surely tempting me as I love the whole South Indian tempering flavors.
Thanks dear Mayuri 🙂 v
Looks so yum,love all the flavors in this delicious beet upkari. And of course, that coconut makes everything better, being a Goan, it's a staple in my veggies too 🙂
Thanks Freda <3 Yes, coconut is a must for us! Coming from Mangalore, cannot live without it! 🙂
I never make beetroot in vegetable form, looks so different and yummy
Thanks so much Renu 🙂 It is absolutely delicious especially with dal or sambar and rice!v
Thanks so much Priya ? This is one of my favorite stir fries!
Thanks so much Priya 🙂 This is one of my favorite stir fries!
Beetroot Upkari looks prefect to enjoy with a bowl of rice, love these sort of simply side dishes to enjoy with rice. Well done.
Thanks so much Priya ? This is one of my favorite stir fries!
This is such a colourful dish, never tried beetroot in ghis version your recipe sounds interesting bookmarking it to try soon.
Thanks so much Soma 🙂 You must try this easy curry, my all-time favorite upkari!
Looks simple to prepare, healthy and colourful. Thanks for sharing such a healthy dish Vanitha...
Thanks so much Geetha <3
I have to admit that I was not a fan of beets as a child, but I've never had them prepared like this - perhaps it's time I give beets another chance! There certainly is no denying that the color is beautiful. Thanks for sharing this at Fiesta Friday!
Thank you 🙂 You must try this Indian version; simple, vegan and ready in no time!
This upkari looks so good Vanitha! I generally make beet koshimbir but will try the upkari next time. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Sandhya <3 Beet koshimbir is always a must but this upkari is my favorite beet dish!