A delicious and nutritious South Indian dish made with green beans, spices, and coconut. Perfect as a side dish with rice, dal, and other main courses. Healthy and flavourful, Beans poriyal is a staple in South Indian cuisine. Suitable for a Vegan diet.

What is Poriyal?
Poriyal is a traditional South Indian stir-fry dish that typically involves cooking vegetables with spices and then finishing the dish with grated coconut. It can be made with a variety of vegetables such as beans, cabbage, beetroot, pumpkin, mixed vegetables, carrots and many more. Poriyal is also referred to as “Podtuval” in the Palakkad region or “Curry” in Tamil Nadu
When you’re in a rush, you can quickly prepare a tasty Beans Thoran without the addition of coconut. The beans are simply seasoned with whole spices to create a healthy and dish. It is often served at home with sambar or rasam and rice for a comforting meal, but it can also be enjoyed as a side dish with chapatis.

How to cut Beans for Poriyal?
To cut french beans or green beans for poriyal, first, wash the beans and trim the ends. Then, chop the beans into 1/4 inch pieces. This will help the beans cook evenly and absorb the spices well. You can also slice the beans lengthwise, depending on your preference.
Easy hack for trimming the ends of the beans– I learned to chop beans easily from Jamie Oliver’s 15 Minutes show.I buy french beans in 250g or 400g packets. To trim the beans, I would hold the packet tight and cut the edges along with plastic cover to make the process quick and easy.
The important thing is to cut the beans into bite-sized pieces for ease of cooking and eating.

Ingredients to make Kerala style beans poriyal (thoran)
Green beans, also known as French beans or String beans, are commonly used in the preparation of Beans Poriyal. They are a versatile vegetable with a tender texture and delicate flavor that complements the spices used in the dish. When selecting beans, look for firm and bright green pods that snap easily.
Coconut oil is a staple in South Indian cooking and is commonly used to prepare Poriyal. However, you can use any oil of your choice.
Freshly grated coconut adds a distinct flavor and texture to the dish. It can be easily purchased at any Indian grocery store in the frozen section.
Green chillies are optional but add a spicy kick to the dish.
Basic seasoning or tempering ingredients include mustard seeds, asafoetida, urad dal, dried red chillies, and curry leaves. These ingredients are added to hot oil to create the tempering that is used to season the dish.
Turmeric is a staple spice in Indian cooking that imparts a distinct yellow color and earthy flavor to the dish.
How to make Beans poriyal step by step?
To make Beans Poriyal, heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Add mustard seeds and let them crackle. Then add urad dal, red chili, and curry leaves, cooking until fragrant.
Add the green beans, salt, and stir together. Cover and cook until the beans are tender, about 8-10 minutes.
For extra flavor, blend the coconut with green chilli and add it to the dish. Serve hot.
How to serve Beans poriyal?
Beans Poriyal can be served as a side dish with South Indian meals such as Sambar, Rasam, and Rice. It can also be enjoyed with Chapati or Naan bread for a delicious and healthy vegetarian meal. The dish can be garnished with fresh curry leaves for an extra burst of flavor.
Storing
Leftover Beans Poriyal can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, simply stir-fry the dish in a pan until heated through or microwave for a quick and easy solution.
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Easy French beans(Green bean) poriyal recipe below

Ingredients
- 400 g green beans washed, trimmed to and cut into small pieces ( ¼")
- 1/2 Tsp turmeric
- salt to taste
- ¼ cup grated Coconut
- 1 green chilly
Seasoning
- 1 tbsp Coconut Oil
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1/2 Tsp Urad dal
- 10 Curry Leaves
- 3 Dried Red Chilly
Instructions
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds and let them crackle
- Then add urad dal, red chilli, and curry leaves, cooking until fragrant. About 25-30 seconds.
- Add the green beans, salt, and stir together.Cover and cook until the beans are tender, about 8-10 minutes. If you think beans are catching the bottom of the pan, add ½ a cup of water.
- Stir in grated coconut. For added flavour, Blend the coconut with green chilli and add it to the dish. (Optional step)
- Serve hot.
Stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest and we really loved Beans Poriyal. My family and friends found the flavours so simple and authentic.
I don’t understand why the Urad Dal is listed under seasoning? Can you please clarify?
Hi Ina, Traditionally in Palakkad Cuisine, we use Mustard, Urad Dal( also called as Ultam parup) and Dried Red Chilli for tempering Poriyals.