Avarakkai Poriyal Recipe
The soul of Kerala Sadya: Avarakkai Poriyal. It’s a wholesome side dish that pairs perfectly with a steaming bowl of rice, rasam, aviyal, and sambar.
Servings: 2 adults
Calories: 215kcal
Equipment
- Blender
- Heavy Bottom Kadhai
Ingredients
- 200 gram flat beans (avarakkai)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds (rai)
- 1 teaspoon white urad dal (dhuli urad)
- 2 dried red chilies
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 2 tablespoon water
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
Ingredients For Masala:
- ¼ Cup fresh coconut, chopped
- 4 shallots (sambar onion)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 green chilli
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- handful of fresh coriander leaves
Instructions
- Wash the beans thoroughly. String them by pulling the fiber off the sides, then chop them diagonally into thin slices.
- In a small blender or using a mortar and pestle, coarsely grind the coconut, green chilies, shallots, garlic, cumin seeds, coriander leaves, and turmeric powder. Keep it aside.
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan (a kadai or uruli). Once hot, add the mustard seeds, urad dal, red chilli, and curry leaves.
- Once the seeds start popping and the urad dal turns light golden, add the finely chopped flat beans and salt. Give it a good stir on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Add 4 tablespoons of water. Cover and cook beans over low heat till they are almost done.
- Add the coconut mixture to the poriyal. Stir it all together. Sauté for another 2 minutes on medium-high heat until the coconut coats the beans beautifully.
- Avarakkai Poriyal is ready to serve.
Video
Notes
- Do not add water while making coconut paste. We want a dry, coarse “crush” (peera), not a smooth paste.
- Do not add too much water to cook the beans. A splash or 1 - 2 tablespoon is fine. The idea is to create steam.
Nutrition
Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 679mg | Potassium: 624mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1172IU | Vitamin C: 106mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 4mg