Sri Lankan beetroot curry is also known as “beetroot thel dala” in Sinhalese(cooked in oil or stir-fried in oil).
A vibrant curry that is vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and pairs well with everyday Sri Lankan meals.
This authentic Sri Lankan beetroot curry is made by sautéing slices of beetroot in oil, garlic, onions and spices.
The sweetness of the beet complements well with the tempered ingredients.
Healthy, nourishing, full of vitamins, beetroot helps to boost your immune system naturally. 

Menus for Sri Lankan beetroot curry.

• Rice dishes to serve with the beetroot curry.
  • How to cook rice on the stove.
  • Sri Lankan Yellow Rice(turmeric rice)
  • Indian fragrant ghee rice(nei choru).

• You can try the beet curry with the following Sri Lankan menu.
  • Sri Lankan menu 1 
  • Sri Lankan menu 2
  • Sri Lankan menu 4
  • Sri Lankan menu 5
• Other vegetarian, vegan curry dishes that pair well with beetroot curry.
  • Pumpkin Curry(Sri Lankan, vegetarian)
  • potato korma(aloo kurma).
  • sweet potato curry(Sri Lankan, bathala curry).
  • Sri Lankan Potato curry(ala kiri hodi).
  • Sri Lankan Dhal curry(parippu, dal, daal). or Sri Lankan Dhal(red lentil)spinach curry
• Meat dishes to try with this dish.
  • Sri Lankan chicken curry.
  • Slow-cooked beef curry(like my grandmother makes).
  • Sri Lankan Fish curry with coconut milk(thalapath fish curry).
  • Sri Lankan red chilli fish curry(Thalapath malu mirisata).

More beetroot recipes.

Ribbon sandwiches (tea sandwiches)
Beetroot coconut mallum.
Raw beetroot and feta salad

Tips & questions about beetroot curry.

• Slice the beetroot evenly as much as possible.
• When I wrote this Sri Lankan beetroot recipe, I didn’t realise that there were many varieties of beets in the market around the world.
  I have only cooked with the type of beetroot which is dark in colour, red or purple. So, if you are wondering what type of beets to use for this beet recipe, choose the large variety that tends to be purple or dark red. Here is a post on the types of beetroot that can be found as a reference.

• Choosing beetroots to cook.
  • Always choose fresh beets to make any type of beetroot recipe.
  • Choosing a beetroot the size of your fist will reduce the number of beetroots to peel and slice.
  • Avoid beetroots that look shrunk or dry with blemishes on them, you’ll want to choose beets that are firm to the touch.
• Can I add coconut milk to this beetroot curry recipe?
  • Yes, of course, but I would suggest just half a cup to have as little gravy as possible.
  • I rarely add coconut milk to my beetroot curry as I want to taste the beetroot.
  • By adding coconut milk, you will be making the beetroot another regular coconut milk curry with its creamy taste. It is not a bad taste, but beetroot tastes better in my opinion.

What you will need in the kitchen.

Chopping board and knife.
A bowl for the sliced beetroot, a platter to hold the spices, and bowls to hold other ingredients.
A wooden spoon or a large spoon to cook the beetroot curry.
A large frying pan or skillet to cook the beetroot curry.
A serving bowl for the curry.

Storage, freezing and reheating guide.

• Storing.
  • Let the curry cool, and any leftovers can be stored in an air-tight glass container. If you are using a plastic container, use old ones as the curry stains.
• Freezing.
  • Can be cooled and frozen for 2 to 3 weeks.
  • Make sure to portion it out if you are making the beetroot recipe for a month.
  • I have portioned and frozen beetroot curry for my older kids when I had to travel overseas and needed them to have some home-cooked curries.
• Reheating.
  • Leave the frozen beetroot curry out until it reaches room temperature.
  • Reheat over the stovetop or microwave for 2-3 minutes.
• Stop food waste by.
  • 2-3 large beetroot recipes can go a long way.
  • You can feed 3-4, so only cook as much as you need, and the rest you can freeze.

RECIPE DIFFICULTY-EASY

Ingredients for the beetroot curry.

Large red Beetroots– the main ingredient, peeled and cut into thin strips.
Curry leaves– adds flavour and authentic aroma to the dish. Substitute with a bay leaf.
Medium-sized onion– for flavour and tempering.
Garlic cloves- sliced fine
Water– as needed to semi-cook the beetroot slices.
Turmeric powder– seasoning.
Red chilli flakes– adds spiciness. can be used as needed.
Unroasted curry powder(optional)– you can use any regular curry powder. adds authentic curry flavour.
Salt to season
Oil– Oil – Any type of cooking oil, preferably coconut oil, vegetable oil, or sunflower oil.

How to cook the beetroot curry.

Step-by-step photo tutorial

How to cut the beetroot

Before cleaning and cutting the beetroot, be aware that the beet juice tends to stain your fingers and clothes.
So, if you want to avoid the red staining of your nails, then please wear disposable gloves.
If you have bought the beetroots with the stems and leaves, cut them and save them for a beetroot leaves salad.
Wash the beetroot, peel the skin.

Slice them into fairly thin round slices. you might have difficulty cutting the last portion of the beetroot into full circles, but try to cut them into half circles.

Separate them in size and then stack three to four slices together and cut them into thin sticks.

Cooking the Sri Lankan beetroot curry.

Add the beetroot strips, curry leaves, sliced onions(medium), garlic, turmeric powder, red chilli flakes and salt into a pan. 

Pour in water, mix all the ingredients and cook over low-medium heat until the water evaporates, while turning the beets soft.
Cook for 10-12 minutes until the water completely evaporates.

Once the water evaporates, you can add the coconut milk(optional ingredient, about 1/4th cup)if you are looking for a more creamy dish.
For this recipe, I’ll be adding oil to make more of a sautéed version.

Pour in the oil, reduce the heat to low and sauté the beetroot until they are semi-fried.
7 to 8 minutes. taste and season with salt if necessary.

Add chilli flakes, increase and reduce the amount of heat to the beetroot stir-fry.
Add the raw curry powder to give it a stronger flavour.

Combine well.taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. serve the easy beetroot curry warm with any of the Sri Lankan menus given above.

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Beetroot Curry(Sri Lankan recipe)

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Sri Lankan Beetroot curry.

Sri Lankan beetroot curry is also known as “beetroot thel dala” in Sinhalese(cooked in oil or stir-fried in oil).

A vibrant curry that is vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and pairs well with everyday Sri Lankan meals.

Print

Ingredients

• Ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.
• 2 large Beetroots, peeled and then cut into thin strips of 1 inch or half
• 1/4 cup water
• 4-5 curry leaves(substitute with 1 bay leaf)
• 1 medium-sized onion sliced fine
• 2 garlic cloves cut into thin slices
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of chiilli flecks
• 1/2 a teaspoon of unroasted curry powder(optional, any type of curry powder, I have use Jaffna curry power)
• Salt to season

Instructions

How to cut the beetroot.

1. Before cleaning and cutting the beetroot, be aware that the beet juice tends to stain your fingers and clothes.
2. So, if you want to avoid the red staining of your nails, then please wear disposable gloves.
3. If you have bought the beetroots with the stems and leaves, cut them and save them for a beetroot leaves salad.
4. Wash the beetroot, peel the skin.
5. Slice them into fairly thin round slices.
6. you might have difficulty cutting the last portion of the beetroot into full circles, but try to cut them into half circles.
7. Separate them in size and then stack three to four slices together and cut them into thin sticks.

Cooking the Sri Lankan beetroot curry.

1. Add the beetroot strips, curry leaves, sliced onions(medium), garlic, turmeric powder, red chilli flakes and salt into a pan.
2. Pour in water, mix all the ingredients and cook over low-medium heat until the water evaporates, while turning the beets soft.
3. Cook for 10-12 minutes until the water completely evaporates.
4. Once the water evaporates, you can add the coconut milk(optional ingredient, about 1/4th cup)if you are looking for a more creamy dish.
5. For this recipe, I’ll be adding oil to make more of a sautéed version.
6. Pour in the oil, reduce the heat to low and sauté the beetroot until they are semi-fried. 7 to 8 minutes.
7. Taste and season with salt if necessary.
8. Add red chilli flakes, increase and reduce the amount of heat to the beetroot stir-fry.
9. Add the raw curry powder to give it a stronger flavor. combine well.
10. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
11. Serve the easy beetroot curry warm with any of the Sri Lankan menus given above.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 338Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 258mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 4gSugar: 6gProtein: 36g

Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.

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