Thoran is essentially a dry vegetable stir-fry that can be made with a wide variety of vegetables and some dry lentils. The vegetables are cooked and then a semi-dry mix of coconut and very simple spices are mixed through to finish off the dish. As with any staple dish that belongs to a place, the spices and add-ons do vary by region and home. Thoran is also called upperi in Northern Kerala, although in Kottayam and central Kerala, we call banana chips upperi and thoran is this side dish made with vegetables, to be served with rice.
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Ingredients in Thoran Tips for Making Thoran Recipe Card Step by step Pictures for Making Beans Thoran
Ingredients in Thoran
Vegetable(s): while it’s most common to make thoran with one vegetable, a combination sometimes works better, like in the case of carrot beans thoran because the pairing helps to cut the sweetness of carrot with the heartiness of beans. Other popular vegetables used to make thoran are cabbage, beetroot, long yard beans or achinga, the local vegetables like tender jackfruit, bread fruit, banana flowers and stem, raw papaya, and so it goes. In fact, give my mother any vegetable and she can make a thoran with it. Coconut: is an essential ingredient and there’s no thoran without it. Freshly grated coconut is best since the dish relies on very little else for flavour but since that’s not something a lot of us have access to, store-bought frozen and thawed coconut works well. I always buy coconut that has been exported from Kerala, it makes a difference to texture to flavour Spices: as with most Kerala dishes, there are minimal spices in a thoran and it relies on the vegetable and coconut for most of it’s appeal. Cumin seeds lend a lovely note to thoran and is a must-have. Green or red chilli is used depending on preference and sometimes, the type of vegetable used. For beans, either works and I usually lean towards red chilli powder for ease and colour Other ingredients: we always add a small amount of shallots or ulli to the coconut mixture while making thoran. This is optional especially since many prefer to avoid onion and garlic in their food. However, I always add a small amount of shallots or substitute with red onion because I love it that way. Curry leaves are always welcome and the tempering usually involves just coconut oil and mustard seeds.
Tips to Make Beans Thoran
Since thoran relies on the key vegetable(s) for its flavour, make sure to slice thin and even. This way, the juices and flavours release into the overall dish. Specifically for beans thoran, the beans is slices quite thin, even more or than what you see in my pics Don’t grind the coconut too much, in fact, a quick turn or two in the blender is good enough The type of chilli you use – fresh green chilli or red chilli powder, etc – will impact the final flavour of the dish. Go with your preference and experiment to see what you like more Add minimal water when cooking the vegetable. I usually just sprinkle some water and cook the vegetable covered on very low heat for it to soften. This also ensures maximum flavour Speaking of cooking the vegetable, mushy vegetable is a no-no for thoran. You want it to be cooked soft yet with a bite to it. I’d say that slightly undercooked is better than an overcooked and mushy thoran You can adjust the amount of coconut to your liking. I have found that over the years, my ratio of coconut in thoran has gone down quite a bit. When I go back to Kottayam now, I find thoran really coconut-ty, although that’s not a complaint, just an observation! Thoran is a great side dish you can prep in advance. Chop the vegetable and cook it before storing and thaw the coconut overnight in the fridge and you can easily put it together in the morning or before a meal Thoran also freezes and re-heats beautifully so make an extra batch and freeze for a busy day
Other thoran recipes you might want to try – breadfruit thoran, cabbage thoran, beetroot thoran.
Step by Step Images to Prepare Beans Thoran
Cook the sliced beans with very little water until soft yet still holds its shape. Do not make it mushy. Keeping it covered while cooking on very low heat will help speed up the process. Meanwhile, grind coconut, shallots, cumin seeds, and chilli powder into a coarse paste Do not add any water Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they pop, add the cooked beans Top up with the ground coconut mixture and curry leaves Mix well together and adjust salt as needed Cook for 2-3 minutes until the flavours combine, and that’s it! Beans thoran is ready to serve. Serve beans thoran hot with rice and any curry. This is also an integral dish in Onam Sadya or wedding sadya meals.
