Beetroot Curry landscape up close Insta

A Beetroot Curry Recipe & Story

Nigethan from Tamil Feasts talks about Tamil cooking, and shares his beetroot curry recipe.

 

Tamil Feasts Beetroot Curry and Story Nigethan 2Nigethan of Tamil Feasts – Image credit: Tamil Feasts

 

Nigethan – how long have you been cooking for?
14 years ago – in my fish boat, not at home. And in Australia for 3 or 4 years, I cooked when I was in the detention centre and 2 years with Tamil Feasts since I have been released.

 

What is your favourite Tamil meal/dish to eat and why?
I LOVE ALL TAMIL CURRY! I cannot say one thing.  I love all Tamil food.

 

Where are the best places in Melbourne to buy ingredients for Tamil cooking?
Preston Market for meat and veggies, Dandendong Market for spices, vegetables and herbs.

 

Is there a story behind your beetroot curry? 
When I was with my mum cooking curry – I asked my mum many questions. I also asked many questions to my wife, many questions when she was cooking – I always complained ‘more onion, more chilli’ so she said ‘you know how to cook curry, you cook for yourself!’ So now I know how to cook curry.

 

What do you serve with the curry? And what specifically would you recommend.
Rice and string hoppers are best with curry.  It is good with simple dahl and onion chutney, coconut sambal, and papadams.

 

Is the curry recipe from a particular region in Sri Lanka? If so, where?
Everyone eats it. Everyone loves it. Tamil, Singhalese, Muslim. But some people cook it a bit differently.

 

 

Beetroot Curry Recipe

Makes one large pot

1 kg  beetroots
1 large onion
50ml cooking oil
50g curry powder or paste
1 chilli
100ml coconut milk

Cook separately/

1 pinch of mustard seeds
1 pinch of cumin
1/2 onion
1 pinch of curry leaves 

 

 

Beetroot Curry portrait insta

 

Cut the beets, onions and chilli thinly

 

Cook for 20 minutes on medium high heat with some oil, then add some curry powder or curry paste and keep cooking

 

Add coconut milk and continue cooking

 

Take a separate pan, and with a little oil fry the mustard seeds, cumin, onions and curry leaves until red and brown, and add in to the beet and coconut mixture.

 

Add some salt and lemon to taste, and now the beetroot curry will be ready to serve!

 

Serving suggestions: Nigethan suggests serving the curry with rice or string hoppers, as well as a simple dahl and onion chutney, coconut sambol, and papadams.

 

Notes: If you do not cut the beetroot thinly enough or into small enough pieces it will not cook through. If this is the case, simply add a little extra water and coconut milk to taste, and simmer for longer until it cooks through.