This Indian recipe for beet greens comes from the dish, “Moola ni Bhaji,” which is one of my favorite recipes of my mom’s for greens. It uses radish greens, which have a little more bite than beet greens. What really makes this recipe is the semolina. The semolina gives greens a whole new texture. They become soft, light, and fluffy.
Indians have a lot of different ways of cooking greens. This is one of my favorite because adding semolina gives it more body and substance. Semolina also helps hold the flavors and spices to the vegetable.
The best time of the year to buy vegetables in Bombay is in the winter. The warm rains drench the farmlands during monsoon season, and the winter harvest follows.
I remember this mainly because this is the time of year my mother would buy lots of greens. She would make some of my favorite dishes like her version of a traditional Moola ni Bhaji with Daikon Radish greens. But she would substitute any kind of green other than spinach (spinach would be too slimy).
Tips for Making this Dish
- Make sure to toast the semolina enough. If you don’t, it will become gooey and sticky.
- Do not add too much water, which will also make the semolina sticky and gooey.
- If you want to make it gluten-free, try cornmeal. Cornmeal has similar texture and properties to semolina, but I haven’t tried it myself.
This is a great dish for making a day or two ahead of time as well, so you can take it to work and eat it with some bread.
You can do anything with beet greens that you can do with other greens, like chard or collard greens, but they don’t have to cook quite as long.
Buying Beet Greens
If you are buying beets and you find beets that still have the greens on them, if the greens are not too floppy, you should buy them. This way, you know the beets are fresh and flavorful.
When you get them home, chop off the greens just about a quarter inch above the beet. The greens should last a day or two in the refrigerator, and the beets will last much longer.
Beet Greens Curry (Beetroot Ni Bhaji Nu Shaak)
Ingredients
- 1 bunch beet greens with stems Roughly chop the greens and chop the stems into a fine dice
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ onion, small finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ serrano chili
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ cup semolina (rava)
- 1 cup water
- pinch salt (or to taste)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, chili, beet stems and garlic. Cook until the onions are softened and transparent.
- Add 1/4 cup semolina. Toast the semolina, stirring continuously until it smells toasty, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in turmeric, cumin and chili powder.
- Add beet greens and 1 cup water and salt.
- Cover, Cook 5 minutes, stirring once about halfway through. Uncover, cook for 5 more minutes, stirring often.
- Sprinkle with lemon juice, stir and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
(Originally published May 24, 2014; updated Aug 5, 2022)
Hi, I just found your site and am sure I’ll be returning; your recipes look great. Do grocery store chains carry semolina? It’s not something I usually purchase but I just happen to have some beets with the greens and would like to try your recipe.
The best part in this recipe i liked (the time), it is ready just in a 30 min that’s awesome. Lovely recipe liked it so much thanks for the post.
Yum, mouth watering recipe. My favorite curry dish. Thanks for sharing.
Simon
Just got some beets with greens from a farmers market and tried your recipe. Turned out great. Tried a slight modification doing a Tadka first using Mustard seeds(rai), some urid dal and Asofeatida(hing). Some added a ginger with Garlic and a pinch of sugar at the end. Thanks for sharing.
That sounds good. Thanks for sharing!
What an amazing receipe!! I just made it now. Love the colour
Hi Bhakti! I’m so glad you made and enjoyed this recipe. It is one of the more unusual ones and I love it so much. 🙂
Its really tasty and nutritious also, full of beautiful color and green texture with tangy zaeka.
Glad you like it Ritesha! 🙂
Hi Puja,
It’s just today stumbled upon your website! I am so impressed – you have got some wonderful recipes and creative photographs to compliment it 🙂
My husband got some fresh beets last night and the stems looked fresh. I wanted to make something new with it and Google brought me here!!
The beets just had the stalks and no leaves, so I used kale – it was yummy!! Totally in love with this recipe!!
I have also bookmarked the kale and quinoa parathas – hoping to make them soon 🙂
I signed up for a local vege box delivery this year, and have made it my personal mission not to waste any part of it. I love, love, love this receipe – the only thing I’ve done with the green from my beet deliveries; 4 and counting . Thank you!
Superbbbbb superbbbb…what a yummy recepie….even my 2.5 year old son loved it…the best way to feed beetroot leaves.
Hi Puja,
Really an unusual & unique recipe!!! Very creative!
I have a question though.
Should this be like a curry
(gravy) consistancy? In the pics on your website, the finished recipe looks almost like a dry ‘bhaji’ or veggie ‘upma’, but your dish is named as a ‘curry’
So should I keep it a bit gravy-ish, or drier?
Was just looking to see if i could do something with the beet greens and your recipe was the first i opened, loved it and made it right away. Blown! Amazing flavor, look and the process was super simple and fast. Never thought of ever using semolina in a vegetable dish. Thank you, this is amazing!!
Hi Puja
This looked like a nice variation to my usual way of cooking beetroot greens curry, so decided to give it a try.
However, adding the water made the whole curry very moist and nothing like your pictures. Next time will definitely omit that and see if it will work that way. Thanks though for this version 🙂