Aug 18, 2015 I’ve since had poriyal made with cabbage (DELICIOUS), carrots, okra, beets, bitter gourd (whose fairly intense bitterness I’m on the fence about), etc. This one is made with green beans, which is one of my favourites. The flavour is built on mustard seeds, curry leaves, dried chilis and urad dal fried in coconut oil (and lots of it, typically – my recipe is probably less generous). Finely chopped vegetables are given a quick sauté, and then coconut is stirred in (freshly grated, in a perfect world, but unsweetened desiccated coconut does the trick!). The resulting flavour combination is nutty and sweet and spicy and just supremely addictive. Urad dal are split, husked black lentils – a main ingredient in dosas and idlis, which are South Indian staples (crepes and steamed cakes respectively, both made from a fermented rice and urad dal batter). They are pictured to the right of the coconut in the photo below. In a thoran/poriyal, they are fried, and they add a really nice, earthy nuttiness (think fried chickpeas) and bit of crunch. They’re in such a small quantity that you can swap in finely chopped peanuts or blanched almonds to serve the same purpose – but don’t just omit them, that nutty flavour is really wonderful. I used to leave them out of South Indian recipes, which often call for just a teaspoon or two, until I noticed them in a very simple restaurant rice dish and realized how much they contribute. In Kerala, poriyal is present in one form or another on any restaurant lunch thali – which is a sampling of different curries and dishes, often served on a banana leaf. It makes a great, fresh and healthy side dish to an Indian meal (which are often long-simmered and rich). Pssst – if you like this recipe, you should really try my Creamy Malai Kofta Recipe – lightly fried dumplings of paneer and potato, studded with raisins and almonds in a flavourful creamy tomato-based sauce. It’s serious vegetarian comfort food!
