Beetroot Rice
Overview
Beetroot rice is rice cooked with beetroot, which turns it a deep purple, and it is worth saying plainly that the source for this recipe is describing an Indian dish. Beetroot pulao is a well established South Indian preparation, and the source's own text discusses pulao, sona masuri rice and serving with raita, none of which are Nigerian references. That does not make the dish uninteresting, and there is a real Nigerian angle to it. Rice is the most eaten starch in urban Nigeria and cooked rice with stew is among the most common household meals in the country, so a coloured rice variation slots into an existing habit easily. Nigerian cooks have adopted vegetable rice dishes from a range of sources and made them ordinary, in the same way that spaghetti and coleslaw have become normal parts of the national table. What can be said with confidence is that this is a contemporary dish rather than an inherited one, and that its documented lineage runs to India rather than to Africa. The country field is left empty for that reason. Beetroot itself is not an African crop and is not part of any traditional African preparation on the continent. The recipe is included as what it is, with the attribution left open for a contributor to settle.
Ingredients
Dietary tags are provided by contributors as a guide, not verified by AFN, and they depend on the products you buy. If you have a serious allergy, check every ingredient yourself. Cooking, allergies and your own judgement
Directions
- 1
Wash and peel the beetroot. Cut into large chunks.
- 2
Add water and salt to a pot of parboiled rice. Add the beetroot to the pot.
- 3
Cook the rice until soft but not mushy. Remove the beetroot from the rice and shred it.
- 4
Blanch the green peas in hot water for 3 to 5 minutes.
- 5
Remove the peas from the hot water and add them to the rice.
- 6
Serve the rice in a bowl, add the shredded beetroot and garnish with parsley.
- 7
Serve hot with a stew or sauce of your choice.
Africook’s Notes
Personal notes from Maryam Al-Mansour- Cook the beetroot whole or in large chunks with the rice, then shred it, rather than dicing it small at the start. That gives colour without turning the grains to mush.
- Watch the water. Beetroot releases liquid as it cooks, so use slightly less water than you would for plain rice.
- Long or medium grain rice holds up best. Very short grain varieties break down and go sticky against the wet beetroot.
- It can be made with leftover rice: cook the beetroot separately, then stir the cooked rice through and fry for 2 to 3 minutes with no added water.
- It suits a Nigerian stew, and equally a raita or plain yoghurt, which is how it is served in the tradition the source is drawing on.
Reviews
5 reviews
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Had to pop down to the Moor Market to get raw beetroot since my local Sainsbury's only had the cooked ones in vinegar. The final dish looks brilliant with the green peas contrasting the pink, though my rice turned out a bit wetter than expected so I left it on low heat for an extra 5 minutes to dry off.
I bought fresh beetroot from Rye Lane market to make this on Sunday. The colour stained the white rice so beautifully, just like my auntie used to make in Ibadan. I shredded the beet back in with the green peas like you said and it was sweet sha. My children cleared their plates.
Tried this tonight after finding fresh beets at a greengrocer in Canton. The 30 minute cook time wasn't quite enough for my rice to absorb all the water, so it ended up a bit mushy when I stirred the blanched peas in. Flavour was okay with the salt, but the texture wasn't right.
Shredding that hot beetroot after taking it out of the pot was not easy o! But the final look with the green peas and chopped parsley is top notch. My husband thought it was special fried rice from afar until he tasted it. E sweet well well.
This took me back and it tasted like home. Will be on rotation now.