Beetroot Pachadi is an Easy and Summer Friendly Traditional Curd Raita recipe from the Kerala cuisine. A must during Sadya and all festive meals at home, this is a great side dish to rice and Sambar, pulissery or Kalan.
Beetroot Pachadi is a Kerala Style Beetroot Raita made with cooked beetroots, coconut and curd. It is one of the side dishes or condiments served for Sadya or festive meal during Vishu and Onam Festival.
Pachadi or Thayir Pachadi is equivalent of Raita. The only difference being we (South Indians) add coconut and tempering. Summer friendly and makes a great side with spicy main course meals.
Thayir Pachadi is served during grand feasts for traditional festivals. It forms part of banana leaf meal served in weddings, religious functions etc.
I also serve this for our weekday lunches with some roti and sabzi or dry vegetable. Let me honestly confess that I even consume a big bowl of this as a snack or lunch during summers when its too hot to eat rice or roti. It is quite refreshing.
Kerala Style pachadi is unique in terms of the minced "coconut-cumin-ginger" coarse paste which is what makes it one of the most sought after dishes.
You cannot miss Beetroot Pachadi in a sadya meal. The gorgeous bright pink color truly stands out. If you are beetroot fans, do try Kerala Style Beetroot Thoran and Beetroot Hummus.
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Ingredients
Beetroots - You can cook Beets in a pressure cooker or directly on stove top in a pan. The latter is a time consuming process.
Another way of batch cooking is Instant Pot Beets. This is great when you meal plan or have a large crowd to serve.
I don't peel the skin of raw beets. Once beets have cooked, the peel comes off easily.
To check whether beets have cooked, insert a knife through the center. If it feels hard, cook for a couple more minutes.
For Pachadi, Beets have to be grated using a box grater. This can be done once the beets are cool or attained room temperature. Cooking the beets a day earlier saves time.
Coconut - This recipe calls for 3/4th cup of freshly grated coconut. It might seem a lot but coconut adds flavor and taste. Besides its a side dish and you will probably end up eating 2-3 tablespoons of it anyways!
If using frozen coconut, thaw it completely before grinding as we will not be using any water.
Green Chilies + Cumin Seeds + Ginger - These elements bring the Kerala touch to the recipe. The ingredients are coarsely ground and added with beets and yogurt.
Cumin seeds and ginger aids in digestion which is definitely needed after a grand sadya meal.
Tempering - Pachadi requires tempering in Coconut oil with plenty of curry leaves.
How to Make Beetroot Pachadi - Step by Step
Pressure Cook 3 beetroots until they are soft. Peel the skin, grate them and keep aside.
In a mixer grinder jar, add grated coconut, cumin seeds, green chillies and ginger. Grind them into a coarse paste without using any water.
Whisk or beat the curd until smooth, add salt.
Add the curd and the coconut mix to the cooked and grated beetroots. Mix well. Adjust seasoning, if required.
In a tempering pan, heat coconut oil. Add mustard seeds, once they crackle, add urad dal, whole dry red chillies and curry leaves. Note - Curry leaves tend to splutter so ensure you keep distance and keep the gas stove at medium heat to avoid burning. Add a pinch of hing and switch off the flame.
Pour this tempering over the beetroot, mix well and serve. If serving later, refrigerate and add the tempering just before serving.
Serving Suggestions
The consistency of this pachadi is quite thick because of coconut and yogurt. Do not make this pachadi runny by adding more curd or mix it with water.
Serve it with Rice and Mango Pulissery or Sambar, Thoran or Stir fries like Idichakka thoran (raw jackfruit), beans carrot thoran and Mathanga Erissery or Avial. These are classic and traditional Kerala recipes.
Matta Rice is the preferred rice during Sadya meals. However, you can opt for any short grain rice variety available.
This can be served as easy weeknight meal with Roti and Sabzi or Dal Rice as well.
Storage / Leftovers
This is one of those pachadi recipes that can be served the next day as well. Leftovers refrigerate well and can be used within 24 to 48 hours depending on weather.
Considering it has fresh coconut, I would recommend up to 48 hours only. I have never frozen this pachadi as we never have enough leftovers at home.
FAQ's
Yes. If you are avoiding or limiting the consumption of coconut, please skip it. Simply add curd to the grated beets with some grated ginger and finely chopped chilies. Tempering in coconut oil is recommended for maximum flavors.
Use a Vegan Variety of Curd or Yogurt and follow the recipe. The recipe is Gluten Free and you can skip the asafetida or hing too while tempering, in case you find it too overpowering.
Kerala Recipes call for Coconut Oil. It is the traditional oil with which recipes are cooked. If you do not like the flavor, use any neutral oil.
Other South Indian Thayir Pachadi or Raita Recipes
Vendakkai Pachadi (Okra / Bhindi Raita)
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Beetroot Pachadi | Kerala Style Beetroot Raita Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 Beetroots approximately 300 gms or 1 & 1/2 cup grated
- 1 ½ cup Thick Curd or Yogurt
- Salt to taste
To be Ground into a thick paste
- ¾ cup freshly Grated coconut
- ¼ teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 2 Green Chillies
- 1 teaspoon Grated Ginger
For Tempering
- 2 teaspoon Coconut Oil
- 1 teaspoon Urad Dal or Ulutham Paruppu
- ½ teaspoon Mustard Seeds, Kadagu or Rai
- 2 Whole dry red chillies
- A sprig of Curry leaves
1 cup is 250 ml, 1 tablespoon 15 ml, 1 tsp 5ml
Instructions
- Pressure Cook 3 beetroots until they are soft. Once cool, peel the skin, grate and keep aside.
- In a mixer grinder jar, add grated coconut, cumin seeds, green chilies and ginger. Grind to a coarse texture without using water.
- Whisk or beat the curd until smooth, add salt.
- Add the curd and the coconut mix to the cooked and grated beetroots. Mix well. Adjust seasoning, if required.
- In a tempering pan, heat coconut oil. Add mustard seeds, once it crackles, add urad dal, whole dry red chilies and curry leaves. Note - Curry leaves tend to splutter so ensure you keep distance and keep the gas stove on medium heat to avoid burning. Add a pinch of hing and switch off the flame.
- Pour this tempering over the beetroot and curd mixture, mix well and serve. If serving later, refrigerate and add the tempering just before serving.
Notes
- The consistency of this pachadi is quite thick because of the coconut paste and the thick curd used. Do not make this pachadi runny by adding more curd or mix it with water.
- Leftovers refrigerate well and can be used within 24 to 48 hours depending on the weather. In summers, the shelf life is less as the curd turns sour easily.
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Vidya Narayan
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