Beetroot palya is a simple yet delicious dish where beets are cooked in a seasoning made with spices and lentils. This healthy dish uses minimal spices and can be paired with roti or rice and dal. Making it in an Instant Pot is really easy and this vegan dish gets done in 10 minutes without any need for monitoring.
Instant Pot beetroot palya step-by-step recipe with video and photos.
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What is 'Palya'
Palya is a side dish that is a part of Karnataka cuisine and loosely means cooked vegetables. It is a form of dry curry and is a part of an everyday meal in South India. This common South Indian preparation is called poriyal in Tamil, thoran in Malayalam, and vepudu in Telugu.
It is usually made with a single vegetable that is cut into bite-sized pieces and cooked with a simple seasoning called 'oggarane'. It is very similar to the North Indian 'sabzi' but uses different spices. A palya can be made with or without onions and is almost always garnished with fresh coconut, lemon/lime juice, and coriander leaves (cilantro).
About this recipe
Beetroot palya is a simple yet delicious dish where beets are cooked in a seasoning made with spices and lentils. This healthy dish uses minimal spices and can be paired with roti or rice and dal. It tastes so good with simple curd rice too. The most common way of making this beetroot poriyal is on a stovetop; however, it takes some time for the beets to cook well and it needs monitoring.
Here, I am making it in an Instant Pot which saves a lot of time. I get perfectly cooked beets which is not too soft and have a little bite to them. You don't have to monitor it when made in an IP and this beet thoran is ready in 10 minutes.
Beetroot is considered a superfood and is loaded with several health benefits. This versatile vegetable has an earthy flavor and is rich in folates, manganese, iron, and is a great source of fiber. This betaine-rich bright red vegetable is associated with benefits like lowering blood pressure, helping fight inflammation, improving digestive health, and more. This easy dish is a great way of including beets in your diet.
Read on for the ingredients, recipe notes, and step-by-step instructions to make this healthy vegan side dish and include beets in your diet.
Ingredients
Beetroot: Use fresh beets to make this dish. Cut them into small bite-sized pieces.
Coconut Oil: I make this dish with coconut oil; however, it can be replaced with any regular cooking oil.
Tempering: A simple south Indian tempering (or seasoning) is used for this dish. It has mustard seeds, cumin seeds, chana dal, urad dal, dried red chili, curry leaves, and green chili.
Onion and garlic: Both these ingredients are optional and can be skipped.
Garnish: Like most palya, the garnish I use are freshly grated coconut and coriander leaves (cilantro).
Step-by-step instructions
1. Set the Instant Pot to saute mode and add coconut oil. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter.
2. Add cumin seeds, urad dal, chana dal, dry red chili, and curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds.
3. Add onion, garlic, and green chili. Saute for 3 minutes (until onion is translucent).
4. Add the chopped beets and salt. Add ¼ cup of water. Mix well and deglaze the pot.
5. Secure the IP lid and set it to pressure cook mode (on low pressure) for 3 minutes.
6. Do a natural release of pressure for 5 minutes, then do a quick release.
7. Set the Instant Pot back to saute mode for 2 minutes so that the excess moisture dried.
8. Add coconut and coriander leaves. Mix well before serving.
Useful tips to make Instant Pot beetroot palya
Use fresh beets to make this dish. In this dish, I have used 3 large beets. After peeling and chopping, I got around 4 cups of beetroot.
Cut the beets into uniform size pieces. This way, they will cook evenly.
We need to add very little water (¼ cup). Beets release a lot of moisture which is sufficient to cook the beets.
Make sure the IP is set to 'low pressure'. Be patient. The pressure will build once the beets start to release water content. Don't be tempted to add more water.
Some versions call for adding a small amount of jaggery but I skip it as the sweetness in the beet is sufficient to balance the heat from green chili.
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Click here for my collection of Instant Pot Indian curries.
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FAQs
Palya is a side dish that is a part of Karnataka cuisine and loosely means to cooked vegetables. It is a form of a dry curry and is a part of the everyday meal in South India. This common South Indian preparation is called poriyal in Tamil, thoran in Malayalam, and vepudu in Telugu. It usually comprises a single vegetable that is cut into bite-sized pieces and cooked with a simple seasoning called 'oggarane'. It is very similar to the North Indian 'sabzi' but uses different spices. A palya can be made with or without onions and is almost always garnished with fresh coconut, lemon/lime juice, and coriander leaves (cilantro).
This dish can be paired with roti or chapthi or it can be served with rice and dal as a side dish.
You can store any leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Yes. Follow this recipe and cook beets covered until they are cooked but have a little bite. It may take 25-30 minutes.
Related: South Indian-style green beans.
Bonus
This Instant Pot beetroot palya is:
- vegan and gluten-free
- very easy to make and suitable for beginners
- ready in less than 20 minutes
- a great way to include beets in your diet
Recipe card
Instant Pot Beetroot Palya
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 large beetroot (approximately 4 cups when cut)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 dry red chili
- 2 teaspoon split black gram (urad dal)
- 2 teaspoon split Bengal gram (chana dal)
- 6-8 curry leaves
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 1-2 green chili slit
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoon coconut grated
- 1 tablespoon coriander leaves (cilantro)
Instructions
- Wash and peel the beets. Chop them into small pieces
- Set the Instant Pot to saute mode and add coconut oil. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter
- Add cumin seeds, urad dal, chana dal, dry red chili, and curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds
- Add onion, garlic, and green chili. Saute for 3 minutes (until onion is translucent)
- Add the chopped beets and salt. Add ¼ cup water
- Mix well and deglaze the pot
- Secure the IP lid and set it to pressure cook mode (on low pressure) for 3 minutes
- Do a natural release of pressure for 5 minutes, then do a quick release
- Set the Instant Pot back to saute mode for 2 minutes so that the excess moisture dried
- Add coconut and coriander leaves. Mix well
- Serve hot with rice or roti
nancy says
this dry curry is BOMB! love how flavourful it is
Katie says
I love this recipe, packed full of flavor and goodness!
Kayla DiMaggio says
I have never had dry curry before but this was so delicious! A total hit!
sam says
Absolutely delicous!!
Emily says
This sounds amazing (like all of your dishes!)! I can’t wait to try this, I love beets and am always trying to find news ways to cook them.
Natalie says
Beetroot is now in season. I will definitely cook this. Sounds very exotic and delicious!
dave says
my wife told me about this recipe and now i am hooked
Sam says
This turned out amazing! Thank you for a great recipe!