Peel the skin. Chop the beetroot finely. You can also grate beetroots.
Prepare the fresh ingredients; ginger, garlic, curry leaves, pandan leaf, onion, green chilies and tomato
Prepare the spices; mustard seeds, cinnamon, fenugreek, turmeric, chili powder, Sri Lankan basic curry powder, pepper, and salt
Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Add mustard seeds. The oil should be hot enough so that the mustard seeds crackle as soon as you add them to the oil.
Add ginger, garlic, green chilies, pandan, and curry leaves. Saute until fragrant and the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away. Then add onion and saute until soft and translucent.
Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, and coriander powder. Stir well until all the ingredients are well combined. Do it quickly, so that the spices do not get burnt.
Now add finely chopped beetroot. Stir and sauté for a minute.
Add the tomatoes and pour in the coconut milk. Mix well. Bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the flame to low and simmer for about 5 minutes, covering with a lid, until beetroots become slightly soft. Make sure to stir in between.
When the gravy has reduced to your preferred level, turn off the heat and squeeze 1/2 of a wedge of lime or lemon. Let the curry sit for a while as it helps the beets absorb the flavors and thicken the gravy.