Poriyal is south India’s version of sauteed spiced vegetables, and it can be made with just about any vegetable, though green beans or a leafy green such as spinach, moringa or amaranth are most commonly used. The vegetables are fried with onions and spices, a spoon of urad dal is added for texture (if you don’t have urad dal, a handful of cashews makes a delicious alternative), and it’s finished with a grating of fresh coconut. This fragrant, spicy and flavoursome side dish also works brilliantly with the earthy flavour of beetroot leaves, and I like to serve it with boiled beetroot, yoghurt, chapatis or/and rice.
Beetroot leaf poriyal, or south Indian-style sauteed greens
I’ve adapted this recipe from the incredible Maunika Gowardhan, author of Curry, one of the New York Times best cookbooks of 2025. She writes: “The key to cooking spinach poriyal is to let the greens cook without any water. As they wilt and release their moisture, they begin to take on the flavour of the spices.” Beetroot leaves, which feature in a lot of Indian recipes, cook just like spinach leaves, and I like to use the stalks, too, not least because they impart a lovely red colour to the dish. It’s best to add them with the onions to make sure they cook through. I love the addition of freshly grated coconut at the end, and bought one especially; it is optional, however, and can be replaced with rehydrated desiccated coconut.
Ingredients
Serves 2-4 as a side dish
- 1 bunch beetroot leaves (roughly 160g), or another leafy green (spinach, kale, cabbage)
- 1½ tbsp neutral oil, or ghee
- 1 tsp black (or white/yellow) mustard seeds
- 1 dried red chilli (optional)
- 6-10 fresh curry leaves, or to taste
- 2 tsp urid dal, or 1 small handful crushed cashews
- 1 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- ¼-½ tsp chilli powder
- 35g freshly grated coconut, or 10g desiccated coconut, pre-soaked in a little warm water for 10 minutes
- 1 handful fresh coriander, chopped from stem to leaf
To serve (all optional)
- Boiled beetroot, cut into wedges
- Yoghurt
- Chapatis or/and rice
Method
Wash the bunch of beetroot leaves and strip the leaves off the stalks. Shred the leaves and cut the stalks into 1cm lengths.
Put a wok or frying pan on a medium heat, add the oil or ghee and, once it’s hot, stir in the mustard seeds and optional dried chilli. When the seeds start to pop, add a few curry leaves and the urad dal or a handful of crushed cashews, then add the chopped onion, beetroot stems and chilli powder to taste. Saute, stirring, for five minutes, or until translucent, then add the leaves and saute until wilted. Season to taste, then stir in the freshly grated coconut with a few more curry leaves and a handful of chopped coriander, and serve.
