Instant Pot Beetroot Palya (Dry Curry)

Instant Pot beetroot palya step-by-step recipe with video and photos.

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.

You may also like:

1. Cabbage palya.
2. Beans palya.
3. South Indian-style chayote squash curry.
4. Balekai palya.

Click here for my collection of Instant Pot Indian curries.

Click here for more side dish recipes.

FAQs

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

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.

5 from 18 votes

Print Pin Rate

Author: Shilpa

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

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

Video

Notes

See the tips section above for useful tips to make this dish.

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Beetroot Palya

Amount per Serving

Calories

174

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

6

g

9

%

Saturated Fat

 

5

g

31

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Sodium

 

201

mg

9

%

Potassium

 

739

mg

21

%

Carbohydrates

 

27

g

9

%

Fiber

 

8

g

33

%

Sugar

 

16

g

18

%

Protein

 

5

g

10

%

Vitamin A

 

153

IU

3

%

Vitamin C

 

44

mg

53

%

Calcium

 

62

mg

6

%

Iron

 

3

mg

17

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.