Cook beetroot in Instant pot

Cook beetroot in instant pot, it is the best technique to get a great texture. Makes beet fork tender and keeps most of the nutrients intact.

Why is instant pot or pressure cooking best for beetroot ?

• Quick cooking preserves most of the nutrients. Prolonged cooking in high heat simply kills the purpose of eating such a power house veggie.
• If you have cut in a certain shape and want to keep the shape intact this is the best way of cooking. If you were to cook in the oven it would dry up and it may curl if the slices are thin. Iif it is cooked on stove top in a pot of water then it would absorb a lot of liquid and it may over cook, it will definitely loose a lot of its color in the water. In instant pot the beet cooks in steam.
• Cooking beetroot in Instant pot ensures each piece is fork tender. Reduce the cooking time and you will get crunchier pieces.
• All kinds and sizes of beetroot can be cooked in instant pot big or small. Whole beets, sliced, bits and even grated beets everything works, if you are planning to make Indian halwas. Cooking time will vary depending on the tenderness required.

Cook and peel OR peel and cook the beetroot?

Totally depends on your preference. For most veggies I wash it well then peel but here i prefer to peel, wash and cook because when the beetroot is dry it does not ooze out much liquid and color. I peel with a peeler quickly rinse under running water give it a 2 minutes to dry up then rough chop or cut it into 4 and use for my recipes. This way I can use up any liquid that comes out of the beetroot in my dishes and not worry about dirt or sand particles.

Different cuts of beetroot and the timing.

How to cook beetroot in Instant pot ?

Cut the ends off the beetroot. Use a peeler to peel the skin off.

Give it a very quick rinse under water and give it a minute or two for the water to dry slightly. Cut each beetroot into 4.Put it into the smaller steel container. Pour 1/4 cup water on the beet.

Switch on the instant pot . Pour a cup of water into the inner pot. Place the trivet and place the steel container over it. If you wish to cover you can or it could be left as it is.

Close the instant pot. Set it to Manual mode for 15 minutes .Turn the nozzle to sealing mode.

After 15-18 minutes vent the pressure if any and open the lid, the beet should be fork tender at this point.

Cooked beet is ready to be used in any of the recipes or it can be snacked as it is with some salt and pepper.

NOTE : the beetroot slices seen in the pic was cooked only for 7 minutes and after 7 minutes of natural pressure release the nozzle was turned to venting.

APPROXIMATE TIME FOR MEDIUM SIZE BEETROOT PIECES

5-7 minutes (cooking time) for thin pieces - After 5-7 minutes quick pressure release.

15 minutes (cooking time )for chunky pieces - After 15 -20 minutes quick pressure release.

Whole beets - 20 minutes - 20-30 minutes then release the pressure if any in there

RECIPE IDEAS TO USE BEETROOT COOKED IN INSTANT POT :

• Beetroot hummus from scratch
• Beet and cucumber rolls
• Beetroot pickled
• Beetroot Raita
• Beet and oats VEGAN burger
• I have a beet wine recipe too on the blog 🙂 - best recipes

Hope you will give it a try.

Meena