Beet Raita

This simple beet raita is a chilled yogurt sauce made with beets, yogurt, and a few spices. It’s a simple cooling side, a perfect accompaniment to a spicy dish.

This beetroot raita is as delicious as it is fun to look at! 😍 It’ll steal the spotlight on your table – I mean, look at that bright pink color! And this raita has a very useful purpose: to provide a bit of cooling comfort after biting into a spicy dish.

Everyone familiar with Indian cuisine knows that raita is a must at every Indian meal. Typically I serve super simple raita – just a bowl of yogurt thinned out with a little water and a few spices. But whenever I make a special type of raita, the entire meal feels a bit more special. Beet raita – with its BRIGHT pink color – definitely looks special, and it’s also very easy to make – especially because I first cook the beets in an Instant Pot.

My recipe for beet raita is simple, quick to prepare, and beautiful to look at. You can always make it a bit fancier if you prefer by adding a tadka to it – that means to heat oil in a small pot and add spices like mustard seeds, curry leaves, or chilies.

You can make beet raita several different ways – and change up the texture. Try chopping the beets (pictured) or grate them or puree them! I personally prefer chopped beets because it’s easy, adds texture, and the beets look like little gems floating in sauce!

Serve this Beet Raita with:

This cooling beet raita is the perfect accompaniment to any Indian meal, especially a one-pot meal! My favorite simple Indian meal: biryani and raita.

My recipe calls for very few ingredients – but if you’re new to Indian cuisine, you may not be familiar with one of them: roasted cumin.

Roasted cumin tastes totally different from regular cumin, in my opinion. It has so much aroma and depth and adds a special flavor to the raita. It’s a spice that’s in almost every raita recipe – or at least, it should be. Just be sure to read my notes to see how to make it! Trust me, it will be worth it, and you’ll love it!

Beet Raita

Beet Raita

This cooling beet raita is the perfect accompaniment to a spicy dish! Serve it with a one pot meal like biryani or with any Indian meal.

5 from 9 reviews

Pin Recipe Print Recipe

Cuisine Indian

Ingredients

 

• ▢ 2 medium beets cooked and chopped
• ▢ 1 cup yogurt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
• ▢ Pinch of Kashmiri chili or red chili powder optional
• ▢ Mint leaves garnish

Instructions

 

To make beet raita:

• Combine all of the ingredients together in a bowl and mix well.
• Serve immediately if chilled, otherwise allow it to sit in the fridge until nice and cold.

To cook beets in an instant pot:

• To prepare the beets, add 2 cups water into the steel inner pot, then place a steamer basket or the wire rack that came with your pressure cooker into the pot.
• Place the unpeeled beets on top of the rack, then secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 15 minutes at high pressure.
• Open the valve to quick release any remaining pressure.
• Once the the beets are cool enough to touch, remove them from the pot. The peels should easily slide off.
• Place the beets on a cutting board and chop them into the desired size.

Notes

Roasted cumin powder is highly aromatic and has a more intense flavor than regular (unroasted) cumin. Do not substitute this with regular cumin as you won’t get the right favor.

To make roasted cumin powder: heat a skillet over low heat and dry roast cumin seeds (I usually do 1 cup) for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the color of the cumin changes to a dark brown. Turn off the heat and allow the cumin seeds to cool down. Place the cumin into a spice grinder and blend until smooth. Store in an airtight jar and use within 6-8 months for the most flavor.

Did you make this recipe?Tag @myheartbeets on Instagram and hashtag it #myheartbeets!