South Indian Beans Poriyal also known as beans palya is a delicious and nutritious South Indian dish made from green beans, coconut, spices, and other ingredients. This poriyal green beans Indian recipe a flavorful dish that is easy to make and can be served as a side or main course. It’s also vegan-friendly!
The combination of crunchy french beans with the savory flavors of mustard seeds and curry leaves as well as the mild sweetness from freshly grated coconut makes this south Indian dish an ideal accompaniment for any meal.
For those who are looking for a healthy recipe as well as a healthy side dish or option that packs in lots of flavor, french beans poriyal is the perfect choice. Plus, it’s versatile too! You can switch up the ingredients to suit your taste buds and make this dish as mild or spicy as you like. Whether served alongside rice, chapati, or naan, french beans poriyal is sure to be a hit with everyone at the table.
What is poriyal?
Poriyal is a type of South Indian stir-fry dish typically made with grated or chopped vegetables, spices, and coconut. According to the Washington Post, “Poriyal is the South Indian equivalent of a quick, dry stir-fry; a side dish intended to complement rice dishes.”
It’s usually served as an accompaniment or side-dish to a main meal and can be easily veganized. It goes very well with all types of curry and stews alongside rice. The vegetables used in this south - Indian poriyal vary, but commonly include beetroot, carrots, beans, potatoes.
Poriyal is primarily a non-spicy dish where the chillis are added only to enhance the flavor than add any spice. It is primarily a south Indian dish and called by various names in different parts of the country. It is called palya in Kannada, vepudu in Telugu, and mezhukupuratti in Malayalam.
What to look for when buying green beans?
When selecting green beans/french beans for your Beans Poriyal dish, it’s important to look for ones that are crisp and vibrant in color according Charlotte Grainger in the TasteofHome.
To ensure the beans are at their peak of freshness, choose ones that are firm, straight, and relatively slender in size – avoiding any with blemishes or soft spots. According to HealthyFamilyProject, they say that “they should have a firm texture and “snap” when broken.”
Why should you make this recipe?
- It is quick and easy to make.
- It has a delicious flavor, with the combination of crunchy beans and savory spices such as mustard seeds and curry leaves.
- It is vegan-friendly, making it suitable for everyone at the table.
- The ingredients can be adjusted to suit your taste preference in terms of spiciness or level of sweetness from grated coconut etc.. You can add chilli powder or even curry powder based on your taste preference for spiciness.
- The beans palya recipe is so versatile that it goes well with rice, chapathi or naan bread - providing a great side dish accompaniment to any meal! You can also add cooked lentils along with the beans while stir-frying.
Ingredients to make Poriyal recipe
- Mustard seeds, split urad dal, chana dal, dry red chilli or green chillies, cumin seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves
- Onion/ shallots
- Indian green beans
- Fresh grated or desiccated coconut
How to make south Indian style green beans poriyal recipe?
- Wash and drain the tender Indian green beans thoroughly. Trim the ends of the beans and chop them into small pieces. Also remember to remove the strings that are present along the sides. The strings are very chewy and not very palatable.
- Heat oil in a kadai and add the tempering ingredients to smoking hot oil in a wok/ kadai one by one. Add mustard seeds first and wait for it to sputter. After the mustard seeds crackle, add the other remaining tempering ingredients like urad dal, cumin seeds, curry leaves and dry red chilli. The tempering infuses a subtle flavor to the poriyal.
- Chop and add green beans to the wok, sprinkle about ¼th cup water, cover with a lid and cook until the beans become tender. If the green beans are tender, then they may need little to no water to cook. Tender beans will cook on their own moisture as well as the steam trapped when covered with a lid.
- Add in the grated coconuts/ desiccated coconut after the beans are nearly cooked to completion and saute for 2 minutes before turning off the stove.
How to serve this tasty south indian recipe?
You can serve beans poriyal hot with rice and curry or roti. Simply spoon a generous serving of the bean poriyal onto a plate alongside your main course. There are also times when I serve beans poriyal hot as a simple evening snack for kids.
Substitutions
- The beans poriyal recipes is exceptionally tasty when cooked in coconut oil. If it is not available, you may use peanut oil or sesame oil.
- You may add green chilli if you want more spiciness. You could add it finely chopped along with the green beans. I personally leave it out as I cannot handle the heat from the green chilies. Instead, I add black pepper powder to the poriyal after I turn off the stove and give it a stir.
- You may add spices like turmeric powder or chilli powder or even curry powder if you like.
- Another option is to add toor dal cooked al dente to the green beans. Adding lentils give the poriyal a new flavor and texture. You can also add yellow moong dal soaked in water for 30 minutes, along with the green beans.
- You can also substitute the french beans for green beans and make french beans poriyal or Indian style french bean stir fry.
- You may or may not add fresh grated coconut to the green beans poriyal recipe. If you want to add coconut and do not get fresh coconuts, look for grated coconut in the frozen section of Indian/ Asian supermarkets. When using frozen, allow it to thaw by microwaving in short bursts of time. If all else fails, unsweetened desiccated coconut works in this recipe.
- Feel free to omit the curry leaves in the recipe if not available.
Pro Tips and Suggestions
Cut the green beans into small pieces along the length to ensure faster cooking. Another way is to steam the green beans in a steamer for 4 to 5 mins before sauteing in the wok.
It works best to chop the green beans into small pieces by hand rather than a food processor. I have found that food processor does not do a great job of chopping them evenly along the length.
Beans poriyal without coconut
Omitting grated coconut flakes altogether in this green beans stir-fry recipe still does not compromise on the flavor. Coconut is naturally high in fat, so if you are looking to keep the dish low-fat or healthy, it’s best to use minimal amounts fresh coconut, or omit it altogether. Even without the addition of coconut, Beans Poriyal still packs plenty of flavor – thanks to the combination of mustard seeds, curry leaves, and other spices.
Storage Instructions
Green beans poriyal can be stored for up to 3 days in the refrigerator and reheated as needed. To store this easy Green beans poriyal, simply transfer it into an airtight container or jar and place it in the fridge. Make sure to consume within 3 days of making for optimal freshness and flavor!
FAQS and TIPS
Yes. It goes so well with finely diced carrot. You can reduce the amount of beans when you combine with carrots or increase the other ingredients like salt, spices and onion accordingly.
You can serve beans poriyal hot as side dish along with rice and sambar or rasam. It also tastes great with dal curry or lentil curry served with rice.
Yes. You can soak the moong dal in water for 30 minutes before adding them to the wok along with the chopped green beans. In fact you can also add toor dal to the recipe by pressure cooking 3 tablespoons of toor dal for 2 whistles on medium heat. If using the instant pot, the toor dhal needs to be cooked for 3 mins in high pressure and pressure released after 5 mins.
Yes totally. The french beans are much more tender and do not have strings along the edges. They can be prepared in the same method however, they take a much lesser time to cook.
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South Indian Beans Poriyal (Green Beans Stir Fry)
- Total Time: 25
Description
South Indian Beans Poriyal (Green Beans Stir Fry) is the tasty South Indian equivalent of the Asian stir-fry. In this recipe, the green beans is stir fried in coconut oil after tempering with mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds, dry red chilli and curry leaves. The dish is finished by adding grated coconut flakes 2 minutes before you finish cooking this recipe.
Ingredients
1 tbsp coconut oil
¼ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp split urad dal
¼ tsp cumin seeds
1 dry red chilli
1 sprig curry leaves
250 grams green beans
¼ cup grated coconut
Instructions
- Wash and drain the tender Indian green beans thoroughly. Trim the ends of the beans and chop them into small pieces. Also remember to remove the strings that are present along the sides. The strings are very chewy and not very palatable.
- Heat oil in a kadai and add the tempering ingredients to smoking hot oil in a wok/ kadai one by one. Add mustard seeds first and wait for it to sputter. After the mustard seeds crackle, add the other remaining tempering ingredients like urad dal, cumin seeds, curry leaves and dry red chilli. The tempering infuses a subtle flavor to the poriyal.
- Chop and add green beans to the wok, sprinkle about ¼th cup water, cover with a lid and cook until the beans become tender. If the green beans are tender, then they may need little to no water to cook. Tender beans will cook on their own moisture as well as the steam trapped when covered with a lid.
- Add in the grated coconuts/ desiccated coconut after the beans are nearly cooked to completion and saute for 2 minutes before turning off the stove.
Notes
You could use any other oil if you do not have coconut oil for cooking this recipe.
Feel free to adjust the amount of red chilli based on your spice tolerance level.
You could also omit the grated coconut if you do not have it at hand or if you do not like it. You may also replace fresh grated coconut with desiccated coconut.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 15
- Method: Stir fry
Keywords: Beans Poriyal, Beans Palya, Green Beans Stir Fry, South Indian beans poriyal
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