I’ve gone a little crazy for fresh beetroot. I can’t get enough of the purple stuff. Fresh beetroot is so much better than the beetroot, pickled in vinegar, and packed up in supermarkets. I always thought beetroot had that sour flavour taste. But once I tasted fresh beetroot, there’s no going back, fresh beetroot is sweet yet earthy. And roasted beetroot hummus is a delight. Now I’ve been spicing up my roots with this Sri Lankan beetroot recipe, giving this fabulous root some va-va-voom.
Healthy beets
Beetroot is incredibly healthy, packed with folic acid, a great source of manganese, potassium and fibre. And 100g of fresh beetroot only has 36 calories.
A Sri Lankan beetroot recipe
There are many Sri Lankan and Indian recipes for beetroot. Beetroot thoran is a South Indian dish from Kerela, beetroot sauteed with coconut. In Sri Lanka, beets are simmered in a coconut sauce.
My Sri Lankan recipe for beetroot has my beets roasted and spiced, rolled around in coconut and finished off with a squeeze of lime. This is the recipe I have for you. It’s lip-smackingly, tingly good.
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Spice up your beets with this Sri Lankan beetroot recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 people 1x
- Category: side dish
- Cuisine: Sri Lankan
Ingredients
- 500g fresh beetroot, peeled and quartered
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- A pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- Pinch of curry leaves (be generous)
- 1 dried chilli, crushed
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 1 cm ginger, finely chopped
- 1 tbs desiccated coconut
- juice of one lime
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees Celcius.
- Put the peeled and quartered beetroot into a bowl, add the olive oil, and with your hands toss the beetroot is evenly coated with the oil.
- Spread the oiled, quartered beetroot out on a baking tray.
- Sprinkle the salt on top, and pop the tray in the middle shelf of your oven for 30 minutes.
- Once the beetroot has cooked, soft and tender take out of the oven. Let the beets cool, then slice and put aside.
- On a medium flame, heat the vegetable oil in a large solid bottomed frying pan.
- Add the cumin and mustard seeds, crushed dried red chilli and curry leaves.
- Once the seeds start popping, add the sliced red onion.
- Stir the onion until the onion becomes translucent.
- Now add the garlic and ginger, cook for a further two minutes.
- Then add the sliced roasted beetroot, stir for another two minutes, until coated with the spices.
- Add the desiccated coconut, and stir until all the beetroot is covered.
- Finally, add the freshly squeezed lime, and serve immediately.
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