Carrot and Green Beans Thoran is a healthy Kerala stir-fry made with freshly grated coconut. This traditional South Indian dish is versatile, easy to make, and full of flavor. It’s one of those everyday Kerala recipes that’s simple enough for weeknight dinners but special enough for festival meals like Onam sadhya.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the disclosure.
➡ If you’re new to Kerala cooking, start with my Kerala Cooking Basics guide for ingredient tips, shopping advice, and more authentic recipes.
Thoran is one of my favorite types of Kerala dishes because it’s so adaptable. You can use pretty much any vegetable you like.
This beans carrot thoran combination is one of my favorites because the carrots add sweetness that balances the earthiness of the green beans.
I love how the bright orange carrots and green beans look together – it’s as beautiful as it is tasty. And it’s naturally vegan and gluten-free, making it compatible with almost any diet.
In Kerala, thoran shows up on the table almost daily in different forms. Cabbage thoran, beetroot thoran, spinach thoran are some favorites.
This recipe is perfect for busy weeknights because it comes together so quickly, but it’s also elegant enough for your Onam sadhya banana leaf feast (image below).
➡ If you’re looking for more Onam recipes, try Kerala parippu, mango pachadi, cucumber pachadi (kichadi), vegetable stew, potato stew (ishtu), kootu curry, inji curry, sambar, and semiya payasam.
Ingredients and Tips
🧂 Ingredients for Carrot and Beans Thoran
💡 Ingredient and Recipe Tips
🥥 Fresh Coconut: Freshly grated coconut is best, but frozen works well too. Some brands of frozen coconut can be more coarsely ground. If this is the case, pulse it for a few seconds in a food processor to make it finer.
🔪 Prep: Cut the green beans into very small pieces (around ⅛ inch).
🥕 Vegetables: Thoran can be made with all kinds of veggies. Cabbage, beets, and spinach are popular versions.
🌿 Curry Leaves: I add curry leaves to most Kerala recipes, but for this one, I sometimes omit the curry leaves.
❓ FAQS
Yes, green beans thoran is a popular dish. Replace the carrots with an equal quantity of beans.
The veggies should be fully cooked but still tender-crisp. They should not be too soft or mushy.
🥕 How to Make Beans Carrot Thoran
- In a large frying pan, heat the coconut oil. Add the whole mustard seeds and cover. When they finish popping, add curry leaves, if using.
- Stir in the onions, beans, carrots, turmeric, and salt. Sauté briefly until combined. Cover and cook until the beans are tender but still firm, stirring periodically. You shouldn’t need to add any water because the vegetables release their own water. However, if it starts sticking, add water, a tablespoon at a time.
- Add the coconut, garlic, green chillies, and cumin seeds.
- Sauté until heated through, about 5 minutes.
See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Authentic Beans Thoran with Carrots
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 10 curry leaves optional
- ½ lb green beans cut into ⅛ inch pieces (250 grams)
- ½ lb carrots grated
- ½ cup onions finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 to 2 tablespoon water as needed
- ¾ cup grated coconut [See Note 1]
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 to 2 green chillies slit lengthwise
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds and cover. Once the mustard seeds stop popping, add the 10 curry leaves, if using.
- Stir in the ½ lb green beans, ½ lb carrots, ½ cup onions, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, and ¾ teaspoon salt.
- Saute briefly, lower the heat to medium, cover and cook until the beans are crisp tender, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The beans and carrots will release their own liquid so you shouldn't need to add any water. However, if it's sticking to the bottom, add water in one tablespoon increments, as needed.
- Add the ¾ cup grated coconut, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1 to 2 green chillies, and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds. Stir fry until heated through, about 5 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Thank you for visiting Paint the Kitchen Red. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please don’t use any content without prior written permission. If you’ve made this recipe and would like to share it with your friends, please link back to this recipe. Thank you!
I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
Did you know that the best way to support your favorite bloggers is to comment and rate recipes, and share on social media? If you loved this recipe, please comment and give it a five ⭐ rating in the comment section below. If you’re a pinner, pin this post using the Pin buttons at the top and bottom of this post and in the recipe card above. Thank you for your support!
Questions, Comments? I love hearing from my readers and I reply to all comments!