Beetroot Thoran (Kerala Style)

Beetroot thoran is a tasty dry vegetable side dish of Kerala. It is made from grated beetroot and coconut. I personally love beetroot in all its form either cooked or raw and beetroot thoran is one of my favourites. I’m awestruck by the rich red colour this vegetable has, that almost instantly colours  the water it is washed in and dyes your hands too while grating it 😯

Beetroot is a dark red purplish taproot vegetable that has a sweet and mild flavour to it. It has immense health benefits and is very beneficial for the brain, heart and also helps in lowering cholesterol and blood sugar. It is equally advantageous for skin and hair and fights aging due to its anti-oxidant properties.

I usually prefer chopping it finely with a knife, the way my mum taught me to do instead of grating it. What I feel is that finely chopping any vegetable for making thoran lend it a better texture and also doesn’t turn mushy. However, it is a bit time consuming process, and if you are short of time and patience then you can always grate it 🙂

Beetroot thoran is best teamed up when served along with hot steaming rice and dal. In this post I have given the step by step procedure with photos to make this delicious thoran.

You can also check out the different varieties of delicious thoran posted in this blog like papaya and moong dal thoran, red spinach thoran and french beans thoran.

Ingredients required for Beetroot Thoran:

Beetroot – 2 large (grated)
Coconut – 1/2 cup (grated)
Garlic – 3-4 pods
Onion – 1 small (finely chopped)
Cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 tbsp
Dry Red chillies – 2-3
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Oil – 2 tsp (preferably Coconut oil) + 1 tsp coconut oil for garnish (optional)
Salt – As per taste

How to make Beetroot Thoran:

1. Wash the beetroot, peel its skin and grate it.
   
2. In a grinder add the grated coconut, garlic, cumin seeds, red chilli powder and turmeric powder.
   
3. Grind coarsely without adding water.
   
4. In a pan heat 2 tsp oil. Crackle mustard seeds, dry red chillies and curry leaves.
   
5. Now add the chopped onions and saute for a minute.
   
6. Add the grated beetroot and saute on a high flame for 1-2 minutes.
   
7. Make a well in the centre and add the ground coconut mixture.
   
8. Cover the coconut mixture with the beetroot. Add salt and sprinkle 1-2 tsp of water. Cover and cook for about 7-8 minutes.
   
9. Your beetroot thoran is ready. Garnish with grated coconut and serve along with rice and dal.
   

Related Recipes:

French Beans Thoran (Kerala-Style Payar Thoran) Papaya (Omakka) and Moong dal (Cherupayar) Thoran Kerala style Cheera Thoran – Red Spinach (Laal Bhaji) Thoran Onion Pachadi Masala Idli Kerala Red Coconut Chutney Recipe Kerala Style Karela Fry (Pavakka Mezhukkupuratti) Recipe