Beetroot Tikki: A Colourful Snack That Is Easy on Blood Sugar
Most beetroot tikki and beetroot cutlet recipes sound healthy but are built on boiled potato and bread crumbs, then deep fried. The beetroot ends up being the smallest part of the snack, and the potato and bread do most of the damage to blood sugar.
This version flips that. Grated beetroot is bound with Diabexy Sugar Control Atta instead of potato, seasoned simply with green chilli, mineral salt and black pepper, cut into fun heart shapes and shallow fried. It takes about 20 minutes, kids love the colour and shape, and each tikki has an approximate glycemic load of just 1.4.
Regular Beetroot Cutlet vs Diabexy Beetroot Tikki
| Regular Beetroot Tikki / Cutlet | Diabexy Beetroot Tikki | |
|---|---|---|
| Binder | Boiled potato, bread crumbs or maida | Diabexy Sugar Control Atta |
| Cooking | Often deep fried | Shallow fried |
| Protein | Low | High (40 g protein per 100 g atta) |
| Ingredients | 8 to 12 | Just 6 |
| Glycemic load per tikki | High | Approx. 1.4 |
Glycemic load tells you how much a food actually raises your blood sugar, based on both the type and amount of carbs. Beetroot is low in total carbs, so once the potato and bread crumbs go, a beetroot tikki becomes a genuinely light snack. If you want to know more about beetroot itself, read our guide on whether beetroot is good for diabetes.
The binder in this tikki, used instead of potato and bread crumbs. About 40 g protein per 100 g, glucose load just 7 per 100 g (86% lower than multigrain atta), GI 22. India's 1st atta backed by published clinical evidence.
Buy here: https://diabexy.com/products/sugar-free-diabetic-atta
Ingredients for Beetroot Tikki
This is a beetroot cutlet without potato, so the ingredient list is short.
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Diabexy Sugar Control Atta | 100 g |
| Beetroot, grated | 100 g |
| Green chillies, chopped | 2 |
| Diabexy mineral salt (pink salt) | 1 tsp |
| Black pepper powder | 1 tsp |
| Water | Only a little, if needed |
| Oil | For shallow frying |
The recipe uses mineral salt, a Himalayan pink salt with natural minerals. A simple everyday upgrade from regular table salt for tikkis, sabzi and salads.
Buy here: https://diabexy.com/collections/sweetener-salt
How to Make Beetroot Tikki: Step by Step
Here is our beetroot tikki recipe, and it is a very forgiving one, ideal even if you rarely make tikkis.
Step 1: Take the atta in a bowl
Add 100 grams of Diabexy Sugar Control Atta to a mixing bowl.
Step 2: Add the grated beetroot
Peel and finely grate 100 grams of beetroot and add it to the atta. Fine grating helps the dough hold together and gives an even pink colour.
Step 3: Add chillies, salt and pepper
Add two chopped green chillies, one teaspoon of mineral salt and one teaspoon of black pepper powder. Reduce the chilli and pepper if you are making it for kids.
Step 4: Mix everything well
Mix the ingredients with your hands. The beetroot releases its juice and the atta turns bright pink.
Step 5: Make a dough
Add water only if needed, a few drops at a time, and bring it together into a firm dough. Beetroot has a lot of moisture, so you may need very little water or none at all.
Step 6: Roll it out
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about a quarter inch thickness. Keep it even so every tikki cooks at the same speed.
Step 7: Cut heart shapes
Use a heart shaped cutter to cut out the tikkis. Gather the scraps, roll again and cut more. Any cutter or a small katori works if you do not have a heart mould.
Step 8: Shallow fry
Heat a little oil in a pan and shallow fry the tikkis on medium heat until both sides are crisp.
Step 9: Serve hot
Your beetroot tikki is ready. Serve it hot with mint chutney or a hung curd dip. Each tikki has an approximate glycemic load of just 1.4.
Why This Beetroot Recipe Works for Diabetics
If you are looking for a beetroot recipe indian style that is safe for diabetics, here is why this one fits:
- No potato: The biggest glucose load in a regular tikki is gone.
- No bread crumbs or maida: Refined flour is replaced with a high protein atta.
- Beetroot benefits: Fibre, folate and nitrates that support healthy blood pressure.
- Shallow fried: Much less oil than deep fried cutlets.
- Low GL: About 1.4 per tikki.
Tips for Perfect Beetroot Tikki
- Grate finely: Large shreds make the edges break.
- Add water slowly: Too much water makes a sticky dough that will not hold a shape.
- Wear gloves if you like: Beetroot stains hands for a while.
- Fry on medium heat: Beetroot can darken quickly on high heat.
- Make it kid friendly: Go light on chilli and pepper, and let kids pick the cutter shapes.
- Serve smart: Mint chutney or hung curd instead of ketchup, which has added sugar.
Want more low glucose load snack ideas? The Diabexy Estimated Glucose Load Chart lists the glucose load of 300+ Indian foods.
Buy here: https://diabexy.com/products/egl-chart-download
Diabexy is India's number one diabetes education platform, trusted by more than 2 million people. Diabexy makes India's first low glycemic load foods, including Sugar Control Atta, India's first atta backed by published clinical evidence. Our mission is to eradicate diabetes from India the way polio was eradicated, through the right knowledge and the right food. Visit diabexy.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mix 100 grams of Diabexy Sugar Control Atta with 100 grams of grated beetroot, two chopped green chillies, one teaspoon of mineral salt and one teaspoon of black pepper. Add a little water only if needed and make a firm dough. Roll it out, cut shapes with a cutter and shallow fry until crisp on both sides.
Beetroot tikki is good for diabetics when it is made without potato, bread crumbs or maida. Beetroot is low in total carbs and rich in fibre. This version uses a high protein, low glucose load atta and is shallow fried, giving an approximate glycemic load of just 1.4 per tikki.
They are mostly the same snack with different names. Cutlets are often shaped into ovals and coated with bread crumbs, while tikkis are usually round and flat. This recipe skips the bread crumbs, so you can call it either.
Yes. Brush the tikkis lightly with oil and bake or air fry them until crisp on both sides, turning once. This uses even less oil than shallow frying.
Yes. The bright colour and fun shapes make it popular with kids, and it gives them beetroot and protein in an easy snack. Reduce the green chilli and black pepper for children.
Beetroot releases a lot of water, so the dough usually needs very little added water. If it turns sticky, add a little more atta, a spoon at a time, until it becomes firm and easy to roll.
With an approximate glycemic load of 1.4 per tikki, most diabetics can enjoy four to five tikkis as a snack. Check your blood sugar two hours later the first time you try them.
Watch the Full Recipe Video
See the full beetroot tikki recipe on the Diabexy YouTube channel:
Watch here: https://youtu.be/ZFIFddCIdNM
1.4 GL per tikki. Diabetic friendly. Kid friendly.
