Easy Sautéed Beetroot Leaves (Indian-Style)

Admit it, you've been there before; you've been lured by some fresh beets with lush greens from your Farmers Market, and you just weren't sure what to do with them. So you ended up throwing them away, feeling a teensy bit guilty about waste. I'm here to ease all of that guilt away because I have an Easy Sautéed Beetroot Leaves recipe just for the occasion. I gave it an Indian spin by incorporating the health-boosting benefits of spices, and the crunch of urad dal. Despite its simplicity, it's still very much an authentic Indian poriyal, or stir fry!

Jump to:

• Are Beetroot leaves good for you?
• What can you do with the greens of beets and their stems?
• How long do beet greens last in the fridge?
• ​Why you'll love this recipe
• Recipe ingredients
• How to make this Indian beetroot leaves recipe step by step
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• ​Sourcing unusual ingredients
• Storage and heating
• Easy Sautéed Beetroot Leaves (Indian Poriyal)

Are Beetroot leaves good for you?

You bet it is! As is common with dark leafy greens like kale, Swiss chard, or collard greens, beet greens are a nutrition powerhouse. They are an excellent source of vitamins B9 (folate), C, and K, as well as rich in various minerals like calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium. Beet greens contain more antioxidants, minerals and other phytonutrients than the beetroot themselves.

It is a bit of a shame that beet tops are so often discarded, especially when you can freeze them for later use. Beet greens and their stems contain more calcium, potassium, and copper than spinach. You can eat them raw or cooked but if you have a sensitive tummy, it is best to enjoy them cooked.

How did you use your bulbous beet roots? If you want recipes inspiration, have a look at my Ethiopian Beet Salad (vegan), and my Mauritian Beet and Potato Salad (with egg), both delicious in their own way!

What can you do with the greens of beets and their stems?

Here are some quick ideas on how to use beet tops and their stalks:

• Eat them raw.
• Steam them and sprinkle with salt.
• Add to soups and stews towards the end of the cooking.
• Add to your dal recipe. It marries well with this Bengali Moong Dal recipe.
• Sauté, braise or stir fry, as in this recipe!
• Use beet greens in a pesto with pumpkin seeds, pine nuts or sunflower seeds.

How long do beet greens last in the fridge?

The length of time that beet greens stay fresh in the fridge depends on how fresh they were when purchased. Make sure you pick the ones that are not wilted or old. Beet leaves turn yellow around the edges and looks dull when they are older. Fresh beet leaves last 7-10 days in the fridge. Wash them well, let them air dry and put them in a container with a paper towel.

You can also freeze them in a container or ziplock. I do my best to avoid disposable plastic so I prefer to use a reusable container when I freeze veggies.

​Why you'll love this recipe

• Fast prep. ​The ingredients are so fast to prepare that you barely need a mise-en-place, and I don't say that often!
• Quick and easy to make. You can have this on your dinner table in 15 minutes tops.
• Simple ingredients. Outside of the beet leaves themselves, everything else is basically pantry items, with the exception of ginger, garlic, and fresh green chilies.
• Great for the beginner cook. This is a lovely dish to prepare if you're new in the kitchen or a bit unsure of your cooking skills as this Indian beetroot leaves recipe is very forgiving and not much can go wrong with it.
• Adaptable. If you love this sautéed beet greens recipe, and want to mix it up in the future, you can use other darky sturdy leafy greens like kale, Swiss chard or collard greens. You can even use a sturdier variety of spinach like Bloomsdale spinach, which is my ultimate favorite type of spinach. You can also add, omit or swap the spices in this dish. More on that later.

Recipe ingredients

• 3 large bunches of beetroot leaves, including the tender stems
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
• 1 tablespoon urad dal (no need to wash or soak)
• 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
• 2 dry red chilies. I like to use Kashmiri, but any dried red chilies will do (you can also use 1 teaspoon of red chili powder instead)
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup sliced)
• 1 green chili, slit
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste (or ginger garlic paste)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Pinch of hing, also called asafoetida (I prefer to use gluten-free hing) 
• Salt

How to make this Indian beetroot leaves recipe step by step

Step 1. Clean your beetroot leaves by submerging them in water in a large mixing bowl for a few minutes. Then wash them once or twice until they are clean, and the water runs clear.

You can give it a little wipe down the center of the leaf to make sure there is no residual dirt.

Step 2. Heat a large pan, on medium to low heat. Once it's hot, add urad dal and let it cook for 30 seconds. 

Step 3. Then add the brown mustard seeds and dried red chilies. Let these cook for about 1 minute, enough time for the spices to release their beautiful aroma.  

Step 4. Add the sliced red onion, along with the slit green chili, and cook until the onion becomes soft and translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Stir a few times.

Step 5. Add the chopped beet greens and sauté for about 2-3 minutes. Then add about 1/3 cup water to the pan and stir. You need to add enough water so that the spices don't burn and the beet greens steam a little. Place the lid on top of the large pan and let the greens steam for 2 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to cook the greens until the water evaporates.

Step 6. Add the lemon juice, hing, and salt, and give it a stir. Taste and adjust the salt and spices to your liking.

Step 7. Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired. Serve it with steamed basmati rice or as a side dish.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

​Additions

What other ingredients can I use? 

• Whole spices and dried herbs like cumin seeds or dry fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi). Add them to the pan together with the brown mustard seeds
• Ground spices like garam masala powder, coriander powder, or turmeric powder are all complementary additions.
• Ginger paste. Add it to the pan with the garlic paste.
• Grated coconut. Coconut goes really well in this dish. Add 1/4 cup of grated coconut to the pan at the same time as the lemon juice.
• Fresh curry leaves. Curry leaves are only sold at Indian grocery stores. If you can find them, I highly recommend adding that aromatic herb to this simple recipe. Towards the end of cooking, fry 6 curry leaves in 2 teaspoons of oil in a separate small pan (or a tadka pan), cook for 1-2 minutes and add on top of your dish. No need to mix.

Omissions and Swaps

Coconut oil. If you don't like coconut oil, you can use vegetable oil instead.

Urad dal. Urad dal gives this dish a nice texture and a nutty flavor. If you don't have any urad dal, moong dal is a great substitute. You can also omit it. If you would like to buy it, see the sourcing unusual ingredients section.

​Sourcing unusual ingredients

Organic urad dal: Local Indian grocery store, Pure Indian Foods or Amazon.

Gluten-free hing: Local Indian grocery store, Pure Indian Foods (pick the blue label option) or Amazon.

Storage and heating

Transfer leftovers to glass containers. Let the dish completely cool down before storing it in the fridge. It will keep in the fridge for at least 4 days.