Going back to the basics…
Thoran (stir fry with coconut) is a staple in Kerala lunch. We tend to make thoran with almost everything. Give any veggie to a Malayali and we will make thoran out of it ;)
Though achinga is a vegetable that is widely used in Kerala, I started liking it only recently. It was more of an acquired taste.
I tend to make it as mezhukkupuratti (stir fry without coconut) mostly but made this thoran for a change.
This is a straightforward recipe with no frills and a pretty basic one. No fancy words to describe it, it's just an everyday dish that you can make for lunch. It tastes good and it's healthy.
Give it a try and see how you like it.
If you like achinga check out Achinga Mezhukkupuratti and Achinga Kaya Mezhukkupuratti as well.
Here is the recipe…
Ingredients
- 1/2 kg Achinga (long beans)
- 3/4 cup Grated coconut
- A pinch Cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
- 12-15 Small/pearl onion
- 1 tsp Chopped garlic
- 3- 4 Dried red chilli
- Salt
- 1/4 -1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp Coconut oil
- Curry leaves (2 sprigs)
Instructions
- Clean and trim the ends of achinga and cut into 1 inch long pieces.
- Crush together grated coconut, cumin, turmeric powder, small onion, garlic and dry red chilli into a corase paste. You can use a mortar and pestle or just pulse it once in a mixie.
- Heat oil in a wide pan and crackle the mustard seeds. Add the crushed coconut and curry leaves. Cook till the raw smell goes, around 4-5 mins on low flame.
- Add achinga with salt and mix well. Sprinkle a little water. Cover and cook till it's done, around 7-8 mins on low flame. Remove the cover, stir and continue to cook on low flame for another 2-3 mins and remove from fire.
- Serve with rice.
