Sri Lankan-style Beetroot Curry with Sambol
By M&S Food
Published on 04 August 2025
Chef Jack Stein’s Sri Lankan-inspired feast, as seen on M&S’s Cooking with The Stars, brings together earthy beetroot and gently spiced slow cooked lentils served with soft flame-baked rotis. A beautifully layered dish that’s all about bold flavour, vibrant spices and hearty, plant-based comfort.Time and servings
45 minsTotal time
4Servings
15 minsPrep time
30 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
- 50g frozen white onion
- 1 tsp frozen chopped garlic
- 10 fresh curry leaves
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 330g pack simply steamed beetroot, quartered
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 ½ tsp chilli powder
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 150ml coconut milk
- 1 ½ limes, juice only
- 250g pot M&S Tamarind Dal
- ½ green chilli
- ½ red onion
- 50g desiccated coconut
- 160g pack M&S flame-baked rotis
Method
Step 1
Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the oil, mustard seeds, onion, garlic, curry leaves, salt and cook for 3-4 mins, until the onions are soft.Step 2
Add the beetroot, turmeric, ½ tsp chilli powder and cumin. Cook for 2 mins, then pour over the coconut milk and 200ml water, bring to a simmer and gently cook for 5 mins, until reduced slightly. Season and adjust to taste with the juice from 1 lime.Step 3
Heat the tamarind dal to packaging instructions.Step 4
Meanwhile, make the coconut sambol. Add the chilli, red onion, remaining chilli powder and remaining lime juice to a pestle and mortar and smash together until you have a paste. Mix through the desiccated coconut and season to taste.Step 5
Serve the beetroot curry with the dal, rotis and sambol.