Beans Thoran Recipe
Beans Thoran is a classic Kerala dry vegetable dish made with green beans, coconut, and mild spices. It uses coconut oil along with onions, green chillies, and curry leaves. Fresh grated coconut adds texture and brings the flavors together. This beans thoran recipe is plant based and gluten-free.
About Beans Thoran Recipe
Thoran, also called upperi, is a lightly spiced vegetable dish from Kerala cuisine, made in coconut oil together with shallots, spices and fresh coconut. The preparation is mild and simple, making it suitable for everyday cooking.
A variety of vegetables can be used to make thoran, including green beans, ash gourd, beetroot, spinach, carrots, drumsticks, and bitter gourd.
Table of Contents
While the ingredients remain similar, each vegetable gives a different texture and flavor. Cabbage Thoran, Beetroot Thoran and Ash Gourd Thoran are a few variations.
For this beans thoran recipe, I mostly use shallots or pearl onions (sambar onions). I like the mild sweetness they add, which works very well with the tender green beans and fresh coconut.
Compared to regular red onions, these onions are softer in flavor and do not overpower the dish.
Along with beans and onions, I use garlic, green chillies, curry leaves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and turmeric powder. You can easily adjust the spice level by increasing or reducing the green chillies based on your taste.
Coconut plays an important role in this recipe. Coconut oil is used for cooking, and fresh grated coconut is added towards the end. Both together give beans thoran its authentic taste and texture.
For an authentic Kerala flavor, coconut oil works best in this dish. Using other oils changes the overall taste and takes away from the traditional flavor of thoran.
I often make beans thoran as a vegetable side for South Indian meals. It pairs well with Sambar or Rasam when paired with steamed rice.
Since the preparation is simple, this recipe does not take much time and works well for everyday cooking.
If you are looking for more ways to cook with fresh tender beans, you can also try my French Beans Recipe, Beans Poriyal, Flat Beans Poriyal, or Long Beans Recipe.
How to make Beans Thoran
Prep Beans & Sauté Spices
1. Firstly, rinse 250 grams French beans a couple of times in water. Then, drain all the water.
Chop the beans finely. Discard the top and the end portions of the beans while chopping.
You will need about 1.5 to 1.75 cups finely chopped beans.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a heavy pan or kadai. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds on low heat.
3. Let the mustard seeds crackle.
4. Next, add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and let them crackle.
5. Add 6 to 7 chopped pearl onions (sambar onions) or shallots. You can also use ¼ to ⅓ cup finely chopped onions instead.
6. Mix well and begin to sauté onions on low heat.
7. Sauté onions till translucent. Do not brown them.
8. Then, add 3 to 4 small to medium finely chopped garlic cloves, 1 chopped green chili and 10 to 11 curry leaves.
9. Mix well.
10. Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder. Omit adding turmeric powder, if you do not prefer.
11. Mix again.
Make Beans Thoran
12. Now, add the finely chopped beans.
13. Stir and mix well.
14. Add ½ cup grated fresh coconut.
15. Season with salt as per taste.
16. Mix very well.
17. Add about 4 tablespoons water and stir.
18. Cover and cook on low heat.
19. Check after 3 to 4 minutes. If the water has dried, sprinkle some more water. Mix well, cover and continue to cook.
Overall, you can add ⅓ cup water or more as required, in parts, depending on the freshness and quality of green beans.
20. Cook till the beans are completely done. If there is any water in the pan, cook without lid till all the water evaporates.
21. Serve beans thoran with steamed rice or as a side dish in a sadya or a Kerala-style meal. If you want, you can garnish with some coriander leaves.
Helpful Tips
- While chopping the French beans for this thoran, make sure to discard the top and end portions of the beans.
- Remember to use fresh, tender and green colored beans. Avoid using dry, limp, or stringy beans for this preparation.
- If you don’t have pearl onions, sambar onions or shallots, you can use regular onions. Use ¼ to ⅓ cup finely chopped onions.
- You have to add water in parts to cook this dish. Keep checking while it is getting cooked. If you feel that the water has dried up, then sprinkle some water, mix, cover and cook till fully done.
- Ensure cooking the beans completely. If there is still some water in the pan, then cook the thoran without the lid, till the moisture evaporates.
Asked & Answered
Can I use frozen green beans for beans thoran?
Yes, frozen green beans can be used if fresh beans are not available. Thaw them completely and drain any excess moisture before cooking.
Can I customize this beans thoran recipe with other vegetables?
Yes, thoran recipes are versatile. You can add or substitute vegetables like carrots, cabbage, or beetroot to make variations.
How do I prepare the beans for this dish?
Wash the green beans thoroughly and trim the ends. Chop them finely or cut into small, even-sized pieces so that they cook evenly.
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Beans Thoran Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 6 to 7 pearl onions or sambar onions, ¼ to ⅓ cup chopped shallots or onions can also be used
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves – small to medium-sized, finely chopped
- 1 green chilli – chopped or ½ to 1 teaspoon
- 10 to 11 curry leaves
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- 250 grams french beans or green beans, about 1.5 to 1.75 cups finely chopped beans
- ½ cup grated fresh coconut – can swap with frozen coconut
- ⅓ cup water or add as required
Instructions
Chopping Green Beans
- Firstly rinse the green beans a couple of times in water. Then drain all the water.
- Chop the beans finely. Discard the top and the end portions of the beans while chopping. You will need about 1.5 to 1.75 cups finely chopped beans.
Making Beans Thoran
- Heat coconut oil in a heavy pan or kadai. Keep heat to a low and add mustard seeds.
- Let the mustard seeds crackle. When the mustard seeds begin to crackle, add cumin seeds and let them crackle.
- Next add the chopped pearl onions or shallots. You can also use ¼ to ⅓ cup finely chopped onions instead.
- Mix well and begin to sauté onions on a low heat.
- Sauté till the onions turn translucent. Do not brown them.
- Then add finely chopped garlic, chopped green chillies and 10 to 11 curry leaves. Mix on a low heat.
- Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder. Mix again.
- Now add the finely chopped beans. Stir and mix well.
- Add ½ cup grated fresh coconut. season with salt as per taste. Mix very well again.
- Sprinkle about 4 tablespoons water first and stir to combine.
- Cover with a lid and cook beans thoran on a low heat.
- Check after 3 to 4 minutes. If water has dried up, then sprinkle some more water. Mix well and continue to cover and cook. Overall you can add ⅓ cup water or more as required. Add water in parts.
- Cook till the beans are completely cooked and tender. If there is any water in the pan after the beans are tender, then simmer further without lid until all the water evaporates.
- Serve beans thoran with steamed rice or a side vegetable dish in a sadya meal or South Indian meal. If you prefer you can garnish with some coriander leaves.
Dassana’s Notes
- Use fresh, tender and green colored beans.
- Coconut oil add a distinct flavor to the dish. But if out of it, swap with any neutral flavored oil.
- Instead of fresh coconut, you can use frozen shredded coconut.
- Add water as needed while cooking the green beans.
- Easily scale the recipe to make for more servings.
Nutrition
Beans Thoran recipe from the blog archives was first published on April 2018.
Can i use desiccated coconut instead of fresh or frozen ?
Yes, you can use desiccated coconut.
Forgot to add three things! 1) Correct on the use on Coconut Oil – scour the stores until you find. Not really worth going through this effort without it. 2) If you can’t find fresh shredded coconut then frozen is a reasonable sub., in my estimate 3) Similarly, if fresh curry leaves are not available to you, then the dried version works, but would advise that you crumble them by hand and sprinkle in. This can help to provide a more balanced textural consistency, unless you like the feel of large leaves on your palate.
thanks RE for sharing this perfect to the point tips. of course dried curry leaves also work. i used to use them when i never had fresh curry leaves on hand. yes crumbling and sprinkling dried curry leaves is a great tip. frozen coconut also works well in the recipe.
Great Recipe. Absolutely spot on. I would emphasize that in my limited experience, very slow cooking with careful attention to the water levels is key. I made this for my wife who likes a crisper texture, and dryer consistency. Given this, a low temp, less water, sealed top and longer check interval approach works best. Otherwise, this was quite a well laid out recipe!