Sri Lankan Beetroot Curry with Lamb Koftas & Turmeric Rice
- Cooking Time: 30 minutes
- Serves: 4
- Allergens: Dairy
Description
Beetroot might not be the first vegetable that springs to mind when you think of a curry but once you’ve tried it, you won’t forget it! Sri Lankan beetroot curry is a dish that bursts with flavour: tomatoes, spices, garlic, mint and, of course, sweet yet sharp Ballymaloe Diced Irish Beetroot. Warming, comforting, fragrant – call it what you will, but always call it delicious! Beetroot curry is a classic vegetarian dish and can be served as a main or as a side, but here we’ve matched it with some lamb koftas and rice. We like to use mild curry paste in our beetroot curry, but feel free to go as hot as you like. If you are making koftas, they can be prepared the day before and kept in the fridge overnight to save time.
Ingredients
- For your Beetroot Curry:
- Ballymaloe Diced Irish Beetroot (415g jar)
- 400g tomatoes (chopped)
- 2 tbsp mild, medium or hot curry paste
- 150ml natural yoghurt
- For your Lamb Koftas:
- 500g lean lamb mince
- 1 tbsp mild, medium or hot curry paste
- 1 spring onion (finely chopped)
- 1 garlic clove (crushed)
- Large handful of mint leaves (half of them finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- For your Turmeric Rice:
- 300g basmati rice
- 1 tbsp turmeric powder
- 75g baby spinach
- Sea salt & freshly-ground black pepper
Dietary Suitability
Method
- Pour the rice into a jug, note the volume and pour into a wide pan. Pour double its volume of boiled water into the pan, then add the turmeric & a little salt. Bring to the boil, pop a lid on and reduce to simmer very gently for 10-12 minutes, or according to the pack instructions, until the rice is tender and the water has been absorbed.
- For the koftas, mix the curry paste, spring onion, garlic and the chopped mint really well into the lamb mince. Season and shape into 12 even-sized cigar shapes before sliding each one onto a wooden skewer. Heat the oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat and fry the koftas for 6-8 minutes, turning regularly, until golden and cooked through.
- Meanwhile, pour the canned tomatoes into a wide pan and add the curry paste. Drain the liquid from the beetroot into a small pan and stir your Ballymaloe Diced Irish Beetroot into the tomato sauce. Bring to the boil and then reduce to simmer for 3-4 minutes until thickened. Add all but a couple of tablespoons of the yoghurt and simmer for another minute.
- Simmer the beetroot juice for 2-3 minutes until reduced and thickened to a syrup.
- Once the rice has cooked, leave it in the pan and sit the spinach on top of it. Pop the lid back on and leave to wilt for a minute or two before stirring through.
- Spoon the rice on to each serving plate. Top with three koftas and spoon the sauce over the top. Drizzle with your leftover yogurt and your beetroot syrup. Scatter the mint leaves on top and serve at once.
