Beans poriyal is a vegetable side dish that pairs so well with thayir sadam (yogurt rice) or lemon rice. It is a spicy stir fried Indian vegetable side dish that uses green beans, also known as French beans. The green beans get a nutty depth from shredded coconut and curry leaves that are ground into a wet masala and caramelized until the beans and masala are one. You can pack these green beans as a side dish for lunch or to round out an Indian-inspired Thanksgiving menu.
Special ingredients
Most of the ingredients in this recipe are ones that you can find in your pantry or at your local grocery store. However, there are two ingredients in particular that you are likely to get at your local Indian store:
Curry leaves. Fresh curry leaves give this dish a deep aromatic flavor and aroma that can’t be mimicked by any other herbs. It gives this dish its iconic South Indian flare. Grated coconut. Grated coconut can be found in the freezer section of the Indian grocery store. It is the inner white flesh of the coconut and its delicious oils that are frozen and packed for ease of use. This is crucial in this recipe as this is what adds a rich caramelized nuttiness to the whole dish.
It’s important to cut the green beans
It is important to cut the green beans into ¼ to ½ inch thick pieces. This allows each bit of green beans to be seasoned and coated in the flavorful masala. When purchasing green beans or French beans from the grocery store, make sure to cut off and discard the end which has a tough stringy texture.
