Beans Thoran Recipe (Stir Fry)

Beans Thoran is a healthy side dish prepared by stir frying french beans with shallots, coconut, and curry leaves in coconut oil. This vegan and gluten-free lunch recipe is super easy to make. It is best paired with rice, sambar and papad. It is also a popular dish of Onam and Vishu sadya (feast). 
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Dinner Recipe, Lunch Recipe, Main Course
Cuisine Indian, Kerala Cuisine, south indian cuisine
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • 1 Chopping board
  • 1 Deep Pan

Ingredients
  

  • 500 gms French beans (chopped into small pieces)
  • 5 nos. Shallots (finely chopped)
  • 10 nos. Curry leaves
  • ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp Chilli powder
  • 1 tsp Mustard seeds
  • ¼ tsp White split lentil (optional)
  • ¼ tsp Raw rice (optional)
  • 1 pinch Asafoetida
  • 3 nos. Dry red chillies
  • 2 nos. Green chillies
  • 2 tbsps Coconut oil/Sunflower oil
  • 3 tbsps Water
  • 1 tsp Salt or as per taste

For Grinding

  • 1 no. Garlic
  • ¼ cup Freshly grated coconut
  • ¼ tsp Cumin seeds

Instructions
 

  • Wash beans and trim both the ends. Keep them in a bunch on a chopping board and cut them evenly into small pieces.
  • Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and as they crackle, add lentils and raw rice. Next, add whole red chillies and saute.
    Add chopped onions, chopped green chillies and mix. As the onions turn light brown, add curry leaves and asafoetida.
  • Add chopped beans, saute for 2 minutes. Sprinkle 3 tbsps of water, close lid and cook on low flame for 5 to 7 minutes. Make sure not to overcook them. They should be almost cooked and crunchy.
    In the meantime, grind coconut, cumin seeds and garlic coarsely. Do not add water.
  • Once the beans is almost cooked, add the ground coconut mixture to the beans and mix well. Cook for 2 more minutes until the water evaporates and the stir-fry is dry.
    Serve hot with rice, sambar or dal.

Notes

For a stir-fry, almost any vegetable can be used as per your choice. You can make this side dish with beans and carrots as the combination.
Beetroot stir-fry can be prepared the same way.
The same recipe can be followed for cabbage also. Shred or grate cabbage to make the stir-fry. 
Sunflower oil can be used instead of coconut oil. But coconut oil brings out the authentic taste of  Kerala.
 
Keyword dinner recipe, easy to make, gluten-free, healthy, lunch recipe, mildly spiced, nutritious, side dish, tasty