Beetroot Kurma is a flavorful Indian curry made with beetroot cooked in a creamy, aromatic korma masala prepared with fresh coconut, cashews, and warm spices. This easy recipe can be made in the Instant Pot pressure cooker or on the stovetop.
Beetroot Kurma, also known as Beetroot Korma, is a South Indian-style curry made with tender beetroot cooked in a creamy coconut and cashew masala.
This easy one-pot pressure cooker beetroot curry is ready in about 20 minutes. Check out my other favorite korma recipes like mix veg kurma and restaurant style navratan korma made in Instant Pot.
This is my mom's recipe and a dish I grew up eating with chapati, puri, and bili holige. My daughter and I both love this simple, flavorful beetroot curry.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ready in about 20 minutes
- Easy to make it on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot pressure cooker
- Naturally vegan and vegetarian
- Creamy coconut-cashew gravy
- Great with roti, poori, paratha, or rice
If you like beetroots, then check out Indian Beetroot Recipes
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How to Make Beetroot Kurma in the Pressure Cooker
Firstly, peel 2 medium beetroots and cut them into small cubes. This should give you 2 cups of diced beetroot.
Then, add the following ingredients to the blender:
- ¼ cup grated coconut, fresh or frozen
- 6-8 cashew nuts
- 1-inch cinnamon stick, 1-2 cloves, 1 cardamom
- ½ teaspoon saunf (fennel seeds), optional
- ¼ cup water, or as needed
Grind to a smooth paste.
Heat 1-2 tablespoons oil in a pressure cooker. Add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and 1 sprig curry leaves; sauté for a few seconds. Add 1 medium finely chopped onion (about 1 cup) and sauté until lightly browned.
Add 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 30 seconds. Add 1 medium finely chopped tomato (about ½ cup) and cook until softened.
Add 2 cups chopped beetroot and ½ cup green peas; sauté for 1 minute. Add the coconut-cashew paste, spices like 1 teaspoon red chili powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, ½-1 teaspoon garam masala powder, salt, and 1 cup water (or as needed), and stir well.
Close the lid, cook for 2-3 whistles on medium flame. Let the pressure release naturally.
Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Method
Follow the same steps as the stovetop pressure cooker. Close the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes, then allow a Natural Pressure Release (NPR). The remaining steps are the same.
Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and garnish with 2 tablespoons coriander leaves. Mix well.
Easy beetroot curry with coconut is ready, serve hot with pooris, chapatis, roti, and parathas.
What to Serve with Beetroot Korma?
Serve beetroot kurma with poori, chapati, roti, paratha, or instant pot sona masoori rice.
Storage Suggestions
Store: Refrigerate leftover beetroot kurma in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Freeze: Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating. Reheat: Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through.
Expert Tips
- Cutting beetroot: Having trouble cutting beetroot? Peel the whole beet and microwave for 1 minute. Let it cool slightly, then chop, it will be much easier to cut. You can also buy pre-peeled, pre-chopped beets, in the produce section of many U.S. grocery stores.
- For Thick gravy: You can use roasted Bengal gram (fried gram/putani) instead of cashews while grinding. This is also a great option if you prefer a nut-free kurma.
- Spices: Adjust the garam masala to taste. In my family, we traditionally use homemade sambar powder instead of garam masala.
Variations
- Other Vegetables: Replace beetroot with a combination of vegetables like carrots, green beans, peas, and cauliflower and follow the same method to make Vegetable Kurma.
- Edamame: You can substitute peas with edamame.
- Poppy Seeds: Add poppy seeds to the coconut mixture while grinding for extra richness.
- No Shredded Coconut: Substitute shredded coconut with ½ cup full-fat coconut milk for a creamy kurma.
More Instant Pot Indian Curry Recipes
Beetroot Kurma | Beetroot Korma - Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
Equipment
Recipe Video
Ingredients
For Grinding
- ¼ cup grated coconut fresh or frozen
- 6-8 cashewnuts
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 clove
- 1 cardamom
- ½ teaspoon saunf (fennel seeds) optional
- ¼ cup water for grinding (or as needed)
For Kurma
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seed
- 1 stalk curry leaves
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger and garlic paste
- 1 medium tomato finely chopped
- 2 medium beetroot diced
- ½ cup green peas fresh or frozen
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- salt to taste
- 1 cup water for cooking
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves
Instructions
Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method
- Firstly, peel 2 medium beetroots and cut them into small cubes. This should give you 2 cups of diced beetroot.
- Then, add the following ingredients to the blender:¼ cup grated coconut, fresh or frozen, 6-8 cashew nuts, 1-inch cinnamon stick, 1-2 cloves, 1 cardamom½ teaspoon saunf (fennel seeds), optional, ¼ cup water, or as needed. Grind to a smooth paste.
- Heat 1-2 tablespoons oil in a pressure cooker. Add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and 1 sprig curry leaves; sauté for a few seconds. Add 1 medium finely chopped onion (about 1 cup) and sauté until lightly browned.
- Add 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 30 seconds. Add 1 medium finely chopped tomato (about ½ cup) and cook until softened.
- Add 2 cups chopped beetroot and ½ cup green peas; sauté for 1 minute. Add the coconut-cashew paste, spices like 1 teaspoon red chili powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, ½-1 teaspoon garam masala powder, salt, and 1 cup water (or as needed), and stir well.Close the lid, cook for 2-3 whistles on medium flame. Let the pressure release naturally.
- Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and garnish with 2 tablespoons coriander leaves. Mix well.
- Easy beetroot curry with coconut is ready, serve hot with pooris, chapatis, roti and parathas.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Follow the same steps as the stovetop pressure cooker. Close the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes, then allow a Natural Pressure Release (NPR). The remaining steps are the same.
Notes
- Cutting beetroot: Having trouble cutting beetroot? Peel the whole beet and microwave for 1 minute. Let it cool slightly, then chop, it will be much easier to cut. You can also buy pre-peeled, pre-chopped beets, in the produce section of many U.S. grocery stores.
- For Thick gravy: You can use roasted Bengal gram (fried gram/putani) instead of cashews while grinding. This is also a great option if you prefer a nut-free kurma.
- Spices: Adjust the garam masala to taste. In my family, we traditionally use homemade sambar powder instead of garam masala.
- Other Vegetables: Replace beetroot with a combination of vegetables like carrots, green beans, peas, and cauliflower and follow the same method to make Vegetable Kurma.
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- Poppy Seeds: Add poppy seeds to the coconut mixture while grinding for extra richness.
- Edamame: You can substitute peas with edamame.
Nutrition
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anna
Hi! I would love to make this, but i don’t know cups, do you maybe have the ingredients measured in grams? 🙂
Bhavana Patil
unfortunately i dont have the conversation in grams.. You can eye ball and estimate the cup size and cook..
Nancy
Tasty, East and quick
Bhavana Patil
Hi Nancy, thank you so much
Nancy
Quick, easy, nice taste.
Anonymous
Turned out great,thanks for the recipe
bhavana
welcome