Beetroot with Indian Five Spice

Name: Beetroot with Indian Five Spice
Prep time: 4 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 12 min
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) shop-bought cooked beetroot; 1 hot birds’ eye chilli; Large handful of fresh mint, plus extra to garnish; 2 tbsp coconut oil; ½ tsp fenugreek seeds; ½ tsp brown mustard seeds; ½ tsp cumin seeds; ½ tsp nigella seeds; 1 tsp fennel seeds; 1 tsp garlic paste; 2 tsp ginger paste; ½ tsp ground turmeric; Chilli powder, to taste; 2 tsp jaggery (or soft brown sugar); 2 tsp jaggery (or soft brown sugar); 1 tbsp coconut cream; Fine sea salt, to taste; Juice of 1 small lime

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
15 min

Appears in

15-Minute Indian

By Anjula Devi

Published 2025

About

My father cooked beetroot for our elderly neighbours when we first moved to Southall. They grew to love our Indian food and would often ask my dad what he was cooking. We always looked after our neighbours, and Dad would often say that feeding people was one of the ultimate gifts.

Ingredients

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) shop-bought cooked beetroot
1

Asia
India
Side dish
Vegan
Gluten-free

Method

Dice the beetroot.
Pierce several holes in the birds’ eye chilli, using a cocktail stick (toothpick).
Pick the fresh mint leaves from the stems and set aside.
Place a wok on a medium heat, then add the following ingredients in this order: coconut oil, fenugreek seeds, brown mustard seeds, cumin seeds, nigella seeds, fennel seeds, garlic past