Easy Sautéed Beetroot Leaves (Indian Poriyal)
This Easy Indian Beetroot Leaves recipe is quick to come together and has a subtle nutty aroma and lovely texture thanks to the urad dal. Delicious as a side dish but you can also enjoy it with just rice.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 3 large beetroot leaves and stems roughly chopped, about 5 cups packed
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon urad dal no need to wash or soak
- 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds or black mustard seeds
- 2 dry red chilies I used Kashmiri. You can 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 hing also know as asafoetida. I use gluten-free hing.
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Clean the beet tops
- 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.
Cook the onion, urad dal and spices.
- Heat a large pan, on medium to low heat. Once it's hot, add urad dal and let it cook for 30 seconds.
- 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.
- 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.
Cook the beet greens
- 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.
- Add the lemon juice, hing, and salt, and give it a stir. Taste and adjust the salt and spices to your liking.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired. Serve it with steamed basmati rice or as a side dish.