Beans Poriyalபீன்ஸ் பொரியல்

Name: Beans Poriyal
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Tamil
Ingredients: 250g Green beans (payaru), finely chopped into rounds; 3 tbsp Fresh coconut, grated (thengai / தேங்காய்); ½ tsp Mustard seeds (kadugu / கடுகு); 1 tsp Urad dal (ulutham paruppu / உளுத்தம் பருப்பு); 1 tsp Chana dal (kadalai paruppu / கடலை பருப்பு); 2 Dried red chili (vara molagu / வறமிளகாய்); 10 leaves Curry leaves (karuveppalai / கறிவேப்பிலை); 1 Green chili, finely chopped; ¼ tsp Turmeric (manjal / மஞ்சள்); 2 tsp Oil; to taste Salt

⏱ Prep 10m🍳 Cook 15m🍽 Serves 3🌿 Vegan

Video: HomeCookingShow (YouTube)

Beans Poriyal is the workhorse of the Tamil Nadu thali — green beans finely chopped and stir-fried with a crackling tempering of mustard seeds, lentils, and curry leaves, finished with a handful of fresh coconut. Every household has its version; this one follows the clean, unfussy everyday style that keeps the beans just tender with a little bite.

📍 Make it in Plano

This recipe is the same everywhere — but where you buy the ingredients and eat the dish is local to you.

Finding Desi spots near Plano…

Ingredients

▪Green beans (payaru), finely chopped into rounds250g
▪Fresh coconut, grated (thengai / தேங்காய்)3 tbsp
▪Mustard seeds (kadugu / கடுகு)½ tsp
▪Urad dal (ulutham paruppu / உளுத்தம் பருப்பு)1 tsp
▪Chana dal (kadalai paruppu / கடலை பருப்பு)1 tsp
▪Dried red chili (vara molagu / வறமிளகாய்)2
▪Curry leaves (karuveppalai / கறிவேப்பிலை)10 leaves
▪Green chili, finely chopped1
▪Turmeric (manjal / மஞ்சள்)¼ tsp
▪Oil2 tsp
▪Saltto taste

🌍 Cooking abroad? Substitutions

Fresh coconut is the authentic finish here; frozen grated coconut (available at most Indian grocery stores abroad) is an excellent substitute — thaw at room temperature before use. Avoid desiccated coconut flakes, which have a sharper texture and drier taste.
Outside India, French beans (haricots verts) are widely available and work well — string them and chop finely. Cooking time may be a minute shorter as they are thinner.
Both urad and chana dal are standard pantry staples at Indian stores; they add texture and a nutty flavour to the tempering and should not be skipped.

Method

1Wash and string the green beans. Chop them into thin rounds of about ½ cm — a very fine chop is the Tamil Nadu tradition; it cooks quickly and picks up the coconut evenly.
2Heat oil in a kadai over medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds and wait for them to pop fully before proceeding.
3Add the urad dal and chana dal; stir-fry until both turn golden, about 1 minute. Add the dried red chilies and curry leaves — they will splutter, so stand back — and fry for 20 seconds.
4Add the chopped green chili and the beans. Add turmeric and salt. Toss everything together to coat the beans in the tempering.
5Sprinkle 2 tbsp of water over the beans, cover with a lid, and cook on medium-low heat for 6–8 minutes, lifting the lid every 2 minutes to stir and check. The beans are done when they are just cooked through but still hold their green color and a little bite.
6Remove the lid, raise the heat to medium-high, and toss for 1–2 minutes to drive off any remaining moisture.
7Add the grated coconut, toss once, and serve immediately as a side dish with rice and sambar or rasam.

A Desi.Net original recipe · part of our Indian Cuisine library. Confirm details and adjust to taste.