Beetroot Pulao
Beetroot pulao cooks rice with grated beetroot, which turns the whole pot deep pink.
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40 mintotal
30 min hands-on10 min hands-off
Prep 10 min · Cook 20 min
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- Mild
Ingredients
Quantities are for 2 servings.
You'll need: Stovetop.
Includes prep-ahead time.
Method
In a heavy pot, heat the coconut oil until very hot. Add the mustard seeds and let them pop.
Introduce the split black gram (urad dal) payload. Impose a disciplined sauté until it mutates into a structurally rigid, golden-brown armor. Swiftly pitch the fresh curry leaves and precision-slit green chillies into the active breach to extract their volatile aromatics.
Add the very thinly sliced onions. Stir-fry them until they soften and turn translucent.
Integrate the concentrated ginger-garlic slurry. Punish the mixture over the heat for 60 seconds to totally eradicate the raw, astringent notes.
1 min
Add the grated beetroot. Fry it over high heat for 3-4 minutes, so it releases its liquid and loses its raw, earthy taste.
3–4 min
Drain the soaked basmati thoroughly. Add the drained rice to the pot. Fold it through very gently until every grain has taken on the deep pink colour.
Add the salt and the garam masala. Pour in the measured water and bring it to a rolling boil.
Cover the pot tightly straight away. Turn the heat right down and simmer for 12-15 minutes without lifting the lid, until all the liquid is absorbed.
12–15 min
Turn off the heat. Let it stand, undisturbed, for 5 minutes before uncovering. Fluff it very gently with a fork and serve.
5 min
How to tell it's done
Brace for an optic blast of blinding magenta, where radically independent, elongated rice grains are structurally interwoven with hyper-soft, delicately sweet, and profoundly earthy vegetable shreds.
Getting it right
Tip
A squeeze of fresh lemon over the rice just before serving balances the earthy sweetness of the beetroot, and brightens the pink colour.
What to serve it with
A striking dish, deep in colour. Serve it with a cooling white onion and tomato raita to balance the beetroot's sweetness.
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