Beetroot pulao is an easy, nutritious one pot meal. Makes a perfect lunch box recipe. Colourful pulao, treat for eyes as well as taste buds. Step by step pictures.

This beetroot pulao is suggested by a reader (Aby Senthil) when I posted Chana pulao. She mailed immediately saying we can try beetroot pulao same way as my chana pulao. And sent the recipe too. So one day I tried and turned out great. Aj loved it. Me too loved it.
🍚 Ingredients
Once when we went to my mamaβs house my mami had made veg biryani with beetroot.
Usually we donβt add beets in Biryani, so it was quite different, attractive and tasty too. But never tried on my own. This is the first time I made and will make it often for ourselves. Do try it for a change, your kid would love it for its color.
✨Highlight
I love fennel seed's flavor in this pulao. It not only add distinct flavor, but also helps suppressing the earthy boring smell and makes bland beetroot taste along great. So I highly recommend fennel and fresh homemade ginger garlic paste for best results.
🌾 Basmati rice
Soaking basmati rice helps in giving moist results not dry. It also helps giving long grain. However if you are in hurry, just soak before you start the prep work.
I love India gate premium, Lal Qilla, Dawat. Stick to a brand that works for you and find the exact water and time for perfect results.
💭 Top tip
- To get the perfect color as mine, Make sure to not boil the rice along water. Add rice only after water/ coconut milk boils. After adding rice, boil in high flame for a while to cook it ΒΎth. Then slow cook for perfect results.
- Make sure to check salt before adding rice. Let salt be slightly more so that it tastes correct when rice is cooked along.
- After the rice is done, do not mix much. Do it once or twice very gently. This will give longest looking basmati rice instead of broken ones.
- I suggest to use alluminium (Indolium) pressure cooker or hard anodised one to prevent burnt bottom.
Recipe card
Beetroot pulao recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup heaped Basmati rice
- 1 cup heaped Beetroot chopped
- Β½ cup Green peas
- 1 teaspoon Ginger garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon Red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander seeds powder
- β teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 cup Coconut milk thin
- 2 tablespoon Coriander leaves chopped
- Salt
To temper
- 1 tablespoon Oil / Ghee
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- 1 Cardamom
- 1 Clove
- Β½ teaspoon Saunf fennel seeds
Instructions
- Soak basmati rice for at least Β½ hour. Heat a small pressure cooker with oil/ ghee, temper with the items given under βTo temperβ table in order. Add thinly sliced onions and fry till transparent.
- In goes ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute in medium flame. Add beetroot and green peas. Sprinkle little salt and continue frying for 2 mins in medium flame.
- Add turmeric, chilli powder and dhaniya powder and give it a fry. Add thin coconut milk and a cup of water. Bring to boil, add required salt and soaked basmati rice. Mix well.
- Boil briskly until ΒΎth done, then cook covered for 14 minutes in lowest possible flame with lid and pressure valve.
- Or as soon as water boils, close the lid and cook upto 2 whittles in medium flame. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Notes
- You can garnish with fried cashews too and can skip green peas.
- I didnβt had ginger garlic paste, so I pressed ginger and garlic in garlic press.
- Add rice only after water boils. if you boil water and rice together, it gets mushy.
📸 Stepwise photos
1. Soak basmati rice for at least Β½ hour.
2. Heat a small pressure cooker with oil/ ghee, temper with the items given under βTo temperβ table in order. Add thinly sliced onions and fry till transparent.
3. In goes ginger garlic paste (I used press) and fry for a minute in medium flame. Add beetroot and green peas. Sprinkle little salt and continue frying for 2 mins in medium flame.
4. Add turmeric, chilli powder and coriander powder and give it a fry. Pour thin coconut milk and a cup of water. Bring to boil, add required salt and soaked basmati rice. Mix well.
a) Boil briskly until ΒΎth done, then cook covered for 14 minutes in lowest possible flame with lid and pressure valve.
b) Or as soon as water boils, close the lid and cook upto 2 whittles in medium flame. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot with any raita, onion raita best or boondi raita and chips.
Nandini
Hi..this pulao looks very good.Once I tried something of this kind and my whole rice turned into red color but yours looks just like a normal pulao.Do you have any special tip to retain it from not becoming reddish?
Ramya
You possibly added more beets to it. If you add just the amount Raji mentions here, it comes out yellowish. More beets ~ more color
Nithya Ravi
This comment has been removed by the author.
Raks anand
Try coconut milk, also not more than 2 cups of water (including coconut milk)
Nithya Ravi
This pulao looks super yummy.Keep rocking Raks with your delightful recipes.I tried your ela vadam at home and it came out super fine.Thanks .
Anonymous
Nice looking pulao.. and so easily done with a pressure cooker! Looking at the pic I thought it might have been a very elaborate method!
AparnaRajeshkumar
this is an awesome idea raks. loved the color combo , not too much red ..
Ramya Krishnamurthy
Yummy pulao and will try this with coconut milk
Veena Theagarajan
looks so flavourful.. so tasty
Raks anand
Oh super! Thanks for the feedback π
Anu s kitchendelights
looks inviting and colorful.
divya
wow!!! wow!! awesome pictures dear!! luk so yumm and delicious!
nandoos Kitchen
wow! this is definitely yummilicious pulao.
Priya
Wow!! Looks super yummy. Your pulao dishes are my go to dishes, on the days I have very little time.
I have one question though... No matter how I cook the pulao, low or medium flame, I always end up burning the bottom π If I add a little more water, the rice gets mushy π Do you have any tips? I have the stainless steel butterfly pressure cooker and I have a gas stove.
Thanks π
Ranjani Raj
Nicely made pulav.Tempting!
Raks anand
I find this Indolium pressure cooker perfect. Coz, it never gives a burnt bottom. May be try buying on small cooker in this metal.
Try using little more oil, may be it will help.
alka jambhekar
Super like!
alka jambhekar
Super like!
Sathya Priya
Fantastic preparation raji .Looks tooo good
Priya
Thanks, Raji. I will keep an eye out for it at our local store.
lanu
Hi Raks Anand,
I first came across your work when searching for some recipe and, from then on I usually check Rakβs kitchen before doing any web search. Thank you so much for making my cooking routine interesting and our everyday meal tastier. Beetroot Pulav looks mouthwatering!
Priya Suresh
Wat a flavourful, gorgeous and very attractive pulao..
Vidhya Iyer
super yummy. Color is also perfect
Janani
wow such a yummy dish I would totally love to make this for my daughter so yummy
Janani
wow so attractive and yum loving it
monisha preethi
hi raks anand,once really searching for receips in net and dat tym ly i got ur blog raks kitchen, n ur dishes r awesome actually iam newly married n iam trying new new receips by seeing ur blog n my hubby too loves it π and ur pictures are mouth watering and tempting n tastes r so good plese keep on posting new dishes.....
Kalpana Sareesh
its a delciious pulav.. hv made it once.. yumm it looks
Amudha Satheesh
Have tried this recipe today...came out very well...Thanks Raks..you always rock with new and different recipies...easy too...:-)
SHARMILEE J
Colorful and healthy pulao, am sure kids will love it
Suganya
Such a nice recipe. My son who hates beetroot, loves this pulao. Thank u so much for the wonder recipe.
Anu Rajesh
I made this pulao today and it was super yummy. Im not a fan of beetroot but i'll plan to do this atleast once a week. thanks for the recipe
Renuka Ambbarees
Hi mam.I tried out. It's taste was awesome. Shall I use seeraga samba rice? ? If so. .tell the rice and water measurements. ...because I don't know the water measurements.
Raks anand
I too have not cooked Jeeraga samba so far. So try same measurements and see.
Vani Pramod
And you can also try this. switch off the flame within two whistles, if you are keeping for three whistles.. some cookers cook soon.. π try this it works
Vani Pramod
and u can also try this....... switch off the flame with in two whistles, if u r keeping for three whistles . some cookers cook soon.... i faced this prob in m
VEDA K TATA
Loved the recipe..i keep trying all your recipes.. My husband asked me how I manage to make something new everyday..u said Rak's kitchen is the secret lol
Neera Garg
You have mentioned Cardamom in the "To temper" list. is it green cardamom or the other one(badi elaichi)?
Raks anand
Green one
Ambika Manikantan
Colourful and healthy receipe
Swathi Vytla
How much coconut milk for one cup rice? Can I use cumin seeds instead of fennel seeds?
Raks anand
coconut milk measure is mentioned in ingredients list. You can use cumin
ADP
Hi Rajee,
I tried this pulav, with the same measurements. Turned with very good texture and yummy. Thankyou, .
Raks Anand
Thanks a lot π
Jasmine Pat
I made this today and it came out so yummy! I don't like beetroot, but this recipe is so good, it made beetroot tasty for me, and my daughter!
Iris D'Silva
Hi, can i use canned diced beetroot? I have vr only this at home? Im planning to make this today
Saroj Kurlawala
Very nice recipe. It's new for me.
Angela
Hi Raks. How do you make this pulao in a regular pot without the beets leaching out their colour?
Raks Anand
Considering you are using only coconut milk, make sure to boil briskly before adding basmati rice. Do not stir much after adding rice and boil in high flame until rice is done 3/4th Then simmer and cook to dry out the rice. No stirring is the key. Hope this helps. Using tetrapack coconut milk too helps instead of homemade.
Mahima
Thanks so much for the unique recipe. My family loves this.
Raks Anand
Thanks a lot for your feedback π