Beans Thoran (Kerala Style Beans Stir Fry with Coconut) is a simple, homely side dish made with green beans (French beans), coconut, and everyday Kerala ingredients. It’s a staple in Malayali homes and a must-have in any sadya feast.
This dry stir-fry, also known as payar/beans upperi or beans/payar varavu, depending on the region, uses no heavy masalas or complex steps.
You don’t need special ingredients or a long prep time. Just fresh beans, grated coconut, and a few tempering basics. Follow our easy guide with exact steps, prep tips, storage ideas, and comforting variations to try at home.
Jump to:
- What is Beans Thoran?
- Why You'll Love This Recipe?
- Recipe Ingredients
- Variations to Try
- How To Make Beans Thoran? (Step-by-Step Guide)
- Tips And Tricks
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage Instructions
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- More Kerala Style Thoran / Mezhukkupuratti Recipes to Try
- Beans Thoran (Kerala Style Beans stir fry with coconut)
What is Beans Thoran?
Beans Thoran (Payar Thoran) is a Kerala-style dry stir-fry made with finely chopped French beans and grated coconut. The dish is gently cooked in coconut oil with tempered mustard seeds, curry leaves, onions, green chilies, ginger, garlic, and turmeric.
Before cooking, the beans are sliced into thin, round pieces. The easiest way is to hold 6 to 8 beans together and cut them all at once. This method makes cutting quick and neat. It’s a simple kitchen trick followed in many Kerala homes.
The cooking begins by tempering mustard seeds and curry leaves in hot coconut oil. Then chopped onions, ginger, garlic, green chilies, and turmeric are sautéed until soft. Finally, the beans and coconut are added and stir-fried gently until just cooked.
As it cooks, the aroma fills the kitchen. You first smell the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Then comes the soft, warm scent of coconut blending with beans and turmeric.
The taste builds slowly. It starts with the fresh bite of the beans, then the gentle sweetness of both beans and coconut. The spices and coconut oil bring everything together into a warm, balanced flavor.
This style of coconut-based stir fry appears in many parts of India, too. Beans Poriyal from Tamil Nadu, Beans Palya from Karnataka, Beans Sambharo from Gujarat, and Beans Mallum from Sri Lanka all follow a similar idea with local variations.
If you enjoy light, coconut-rich sides like this, try our Cabbage Thoran next for another familiar and comforting twist.This dish can also be made without grated coconut as a different Kerala stir fry called mezhukkupuratti.
In this version, only coconut oil, curry leaves, shallots, and mild spices are used. The texture turns glossier, and the flavor leans more toward roasted and savory, without the gentle sweetness that coconut adds in thoran.
Why You'll Love This Recipe?
It’s quick, simple, and made with everyday Kerala staples. No fancy steps. Just familiar flavors that feel like home.
In most Kerala homes, mothers feed small kids rice and beans thoran by hand at lunch. It’s soft, easy to chew, and gentle on the stomach. Just like kids enjoy its softness, elders love its mild taste and soothing feel.
Fresh coconut, tender beans, and light spices make it stand out from regular stir-fries. It pairs beautifully with Kerala rice meals and completes a sadya with balance, color, and warmth.
Recipe Ingredients
1. Beans
Use fresh green beans or French beans for payar upperi. Slice them thin and round for quick, even cooking.
2. Coconut
Freshly grated coconut gives the best taste and texture. Frozen coconut can release too much moisture and make the thoran soft instead of dry.
3. Other Ingredients
You’ll need shallots (small onions), mustard seeds, curry leaves, coconut oil, ginger, garlic, and turmeric powder.
All exact quantities, preparation steps, and nutritional values are provided in the detailed recipe card below.
If you’re out of coconut or prefer a simpler version, try our Beans Mezhukkupuratti. It uses the same beans as thoran but skips the coconut. Just onions, green chilies, and coconut oil for a bold, rustic flavour.
Variations to Try
- Add more heat
Toss in a few dry red chilies while tempering to add a spicier edge. - Add crunch
Toast a small amount of rice or white urad dal during tempering for a light bite. - Make beans and carrot thoran
Combine finely chopped beans and grated carrot in equal parts for a colorful, slightly sweet variation. - Use other vegetables
You can use the same thoran method with vegetables like cauliflower (cauliflower thoran), beetroot (beetroot thoran), carrot (carrot thoran) and cabbage (cabbage thoran).
For firmer vegetables like raw plantain (vazhakka thoran), unripe jackfruit (chakka thoran), potato (urulakizhangu thoran), and ivy gourd (kovakka thoran), chop them small and cook covered until soft. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Bitter gourd (pavakka thoran) and ladies' finger (vendakka thoran) also work well. Spinach (cheera thoran) can be added last, as it wilts quickly and doesn't need much cooking.
- Use lentils instead
If you don’t have vegetables, thoran can still be made with lentils. You can use green gram (cherupayar), red gram (vanpayar), horse gram (muthira), or black chickpeas (kadala) for a soft and filling variation.
Start by tempering mustard seeds, curry leaves, and aromatics in coconut oil. Add the thenga oothukkal, which is a mix of crushed coconut, green chilies, and shallots. Then stir in the cooked lentils and combine everything well.
- Make a coconut-free stir-fry
Thoran can also be made without coconut in a style known as mezhukkupuratti. Go coconut-free with Achinga Payar Mezhukkupuratti, a dry Kerala-style stir fry made with long beans, shallots, and coconut oil.
How To Make Beans Thoran? (Step-by-Step Guide)
STEP 1: Heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard seeds and then add curry leaves. Add the shallots and sauté until they are soft and translucent. Add turmeric powder and sauté it.
STEP 2: In a blender or mixer, crush garlic and green chilly well. Then add coconut and cumin. Cumin is optional. I don't add cumin usually. Crush it just to blend everything well. ** Don't grind.
STEP 3: Add the crushed mixture to the pan and sauté for a couple of minutes. Don't let it brown.
STEP 4: Then add chopped beans and enough salt. Cover and cook. Don't add water. It naturally has water in it, which is released when they are cooked. Stir in between. Otherwise, it can get burnt. Cook it until the beans are done.
For a no-cutting option, try Cherupayar Thoran. The green gram can be pressure-cooked, and the rest of the ingredients are tempered and mixed.
Tips And Tricks
- Fine chopping: Cut beans into small and even pieces. This helps them cook quickly and stay tender.
- Stir often: Stir frequently so the beans, coconut, and spices cook evenly without sticking or burning.
- Add water only if necessary: Beans usually release enough moisture on their own. If too dry, sprinkle just one spoonful at a time while cooking.
- Do not overcook: Keep the flame low and cook until the beans are soft but still slightly crisp. That texture is key to a good thoran.
Serving Suggestions
Kerala Style Beans Stir Fry with Coconut (Payar Thoran)is typically served as a side dish with steamed rice and curries such as sambar, moru curry, parippu, or other Kerala curries. It adds more depth to the rice and curry combination.
It also pairs beautifully with kanji and is often included in a traditional Kerala sadya, the vegetarian feast served on a banana leaf during Onam, Vishu, weddings, and special occasions.
In a sadya, this stir fry sits alongside Avial (vegetables with coconut curry), Kichadi (yogurt and coconut curry), Pachadi (sweet-sour yogurt curry), Olan, Kalan, Pappadam, Achar, and many other dishes.
You can read more about the full sadya spread in our Kerala Sadya – God’s Own Feast Guide.
Storage Instructions
Beans Thoran stays fresh for 2 to 3 days when stored in a clean, dry, airtight container in the fridge. Let it cool completely before storing.
To reheat, warm it gently in a pan with a little coconut oil to bring back its original texture. Microwaving is possible, but pan-reheating gives better flavor and finish.
If you love simple Kerala stir-fries and want to try a coconut-free version with bold flavor, check out our Pavakka Mezhukkupuratti, made with bitter gourd, shallots, and coconut oil.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
It can be due to high heat, not covering the pan, less stirring, or no moisture. Thoran needs slow steam and resting to cook through. Sprinkle water if needed. Burnt outside and raw inside means it rushed without support.
Start by using only the leafy green parts of the cabbage and avoid the thick white core, which holds more moisture. Lightly salt the shredded cabbage, let it rest for 10 minutes, and squeeze out excess water. This step is optional, but it helps reduce moisture. Always use fresh grated coconut, as frozen tends to release water while cooking. Stir-fry in a wide, open pan without adding water, and avoid covering it for too long to prevent steam buildup.
More Kerala Style Thoran / Mezhukkupuratti Recipes to Try
I’d love to hear your thoughts if you have tried this! Please leave a ⭐️ rating and a comment below. Don’t forget to share your photos on Instagram and tag @a_little_bit_of_spice.
Beans Thoran (Kerala Style Beans stir fry with coconut)
Ingredients
- ½ kg French beans / Green beans
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 6 numbers shallot / small onion
- 1 pinch turmeric powder
- salt
- coconut oil / vegetable oil
Crush
- 1 ¼ cups grated coconut
- 5 numbers green chilly
- 4 numbers garlic
- 1 pinch cumin (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard seeds and then add curry leaves. Add the shallots and sauté until they are soft and translucent. Add turmeric powder and sauté it.
- In a blender or mixi, crush garlic and green chilly well. Then add coconut and cumin. Cumin is optional. I don't add cumin usually. Crush it just to blend everything well. ** Don't grind.
- Add the crushed mixture to the pan and sauté for a couple of minutes. Don't let it brown.
- Then add chopped beans and enough salt. Cover and cook. Don't add water. It naturally has water in it, which is released when they are cooked. Stir in between. Otherwise, it can get burnt. Cook it until the beans are done.
Notes
- Fine chopping: Cut beans into small and even pieces. This helps them cook quickly and stay tender.
- Stir often: Stir frequently so the beans, coconut, and spices cook evenly without sticking or burning.
- Add water only if necessary: Beans usually release enough moisture on their own. If too dry, sprinkle just one spoonful at a time while cooking.
- Do not overcook: Keep the flame low and cook until the beans are soft but still slightly crisp. That texture is key to a good thoran.
I love beans prepared this way!
Try it out, Richa! It tastes great with white rice :)
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thank u
Thanks. I was searching for simple easy to cook kerala recipes.
Great to hear that you are liking it :)
Thank you .... it's really nice simple and easy...superb
Thanks a lot for trying it out, Ramya!!
Tasty Kerala style beans thoran. I overdid on the coconut, but turned out pretty well.
@Jithin_Emmanuel Thanks again for trying out my recipes and posting pics
Happy to hear that you are enjoying them 
Thanks for the recipe. I added the coconut mixture before the bean and it turned out burnt although I cooked on Sim. Are you sure coconut is not after beans?
Hi Arun, Sorry to hear that. Stir coconut mixture constantly; otherwise, there’s a good chance to get it burnt. If you plan to keep the thoran for 3-4 days in the refrigerator, it’s better to saute the coconut mix and then add the beans. But, if you are going to finish it off on the same day, you can add coconut mix after adding beans too. I hope this will work out for you.