Achinga Payar Mezhukkupuratti (Kerala Style Long Beans Stir Fry) is a side dish made with long beans and cooked without grated coconut. It gets a glossy finish from coconut oil and is light and easy, perfect with rice. The same recipe is followed in Beans Mezhukkupuratti (French Beans Stir Fry) with only the bean variety changing.
In Malayali homes, it’s a regular lunch item and also served in Kerala sadya. "Mezhukkupuratti" means coated in oil. You may also hear names like olathiyathu depending on the region. But the preparation stays the same.
No fancy steps. Just sliced beans, a few basics, and gentle sautéing. Make it once at home, and it might just become your go-to. Dive in for tips, smart swaps, and perfect pairings.
Jump to:
- What is Achinga Payar Mezhukkupuratti?
- Why You'll Love This Recipe?
- Recipe Ingredients
- Variations to Try
- How To Make Achinga Payar Mezhukkupuratti ? (Step-by-Step Guide)
- Tips And Tricks
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage Instructions
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- More Kerala Style Thoran / Mezhukkupuratti Recipes to Try
- Achinga Payar Mezhukkupuratti (Kerala Style Long Beans Stir Fry)
What is Achinga Payar Mezhukkupuratti?
Achinga Payar Mezhukkupuratti is a Kerala stir fry made with French beans and no grated coconut. It starts with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and red chilli flakes tempered in coconut oil. Onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and salt are added and sautéed until the beans turn tender and flavorful.
The dish has a soft yellow tint from turmeric. Green beans look vibrant with a glossy coat from coconut oil. Mustard seeds and red chilli flakes are scattered across, giving it a simple yet striking look.
The aroma begins with mustard and curry leaves sizzling in coconut oil. As it cooks, the smell of fresh beans gently lifts, mixing with the warm oil and spices.
Taste starts with the mild sweetness of beans, followed by soft heat from the chillies. Coconut oil brings the flavors together just enough to feel balanced and homely.
This stir fry follows the usual mezhukkupuratti style without grated coconut. Some homes add thin coconut slices (thenga kothu) for extra bite, just like in Pavakka Mezhukkupuratti.
The beans are coated lightly in coconut oil and sautéed slowly with basic spices. While longer cuts are commonly used, smaller cuts work just as well depending on your preference. The texture stays soft and glossy.
Unlike thoran, this version stays simpler and lightly roasted. Thoran includes grated coconut and often feels sweeter and more crumbly, with finer vegetable cuts.
Why You'll Love This Recipe?
We love this recipe for how simple and homely it is. It uses everyday ingredients and slow cooking in coconut oil. No grinding or complicated steps, just clean flavors that feel close to home.
This is one of those classic Kerala lunch sides that everyone loves. It’s light on the stomach, protein-rich, and easy to digest. Kids, elders, and even picky eaters enjoy it. It fits well into Kerala meals and sadya, adding color, softness, and comfort to the plate.
f you’re planning a full sadya spread, explore God’s Own Feast – Kerala Sadhya Guide for more side dishes to pair with this mezhukkupuratti.
Recipe Ingredients
1. Achinga Payar (Long Beans)
Pick fresh, tender long beans that snap easily when bent. Avoid soggy or yellow ones. Cut into 1-inch pieces. If the beans are mature, remove the skin and use only the seeds.
2. Other Ingredients
You’ll need onions (shallots give the best flavor), mustard seeds, red chilli flakes, curry leaves, coconut oil, green chilli, garlic, ginger, and turmeric powder.
All exact quantities and preparation steps are listed in the recipe card below. If you’re looking for a version that includes grated coconut, check out our Beans Thoran, made with the same base and a different finish.
Variations to Try
- Make it lighter
Skip ginger and garlic to keep the flavors clean. You can also avoid onions. This version is often made when pairing with kanji or during sick days.
- Extra crunch
Add thin coconut slices (thenga kothu) for texture. It blends well with the oil-based stir fry without changing the flavor.
- Add extra flavor
To boost taste, you can add a pinch of cumin while sautéing. For extra spice, use chilli powder or pepper powder based on your preference. All of these are optional, but they do make a noticeable difference in flavor and heat.
- Make beans and carrot combo
Combine finely chopped beans and grated carrot in equal parts for a colorful, slightly sweet variation. Cook it just like the regular stir fry.
- Use other vegetables
You can use the same mezhukkupuratti method with vegetables like cauliflower, beetroot, carrot, and cabbage. For firmer vegetables like raw plantain (vazhakka), unripe jackfruit (chakka), potato (urulakizhangu), and ivy gourd (kovakka), chop them small and cook covered until soft. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Bitter gourd (pavakka) and ladies’ finger (vendakka) also work well.
- Use lentils instead
If you don’t have vegetables, you can still make a dry stir fry with lentils. Try green gram (cherupayar), red gram (vanpayar), horse gram (muthira), or black chickpeas (kadala). It’s soft, filling, and goes well with rice.
- Make it coconut-rich
Mezhukkupuratti can also be made with grated coconut in a style known as thoran.
For another mild, coconut-based dish that balances the Sadhya plate, try our Vendakka Kichadi.
How To Make Achinga Payar Mezhukkupuratti ? (Step-by-Step Guide)
STEP 1: Heat oil in a large skillet (Cast iron skillet works well). Splutter mustard seeds and then add curry leaves.
STEP 2: Add chopped long beans, sliced onions, ginger, garlic, turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. Add 1 teaspoon oil and stir it well until well combined. Cover and cook. Don't add water. It naturally has a lot of water in it, which releases when they are cooked.
STEP 3: Cook on medium heat until the water is almost dried up. Stir in between, otherwise it can get burnt. It might take around 15 - 20 minutes.
STEP 4: Add 1- 2 teaspoons of oil, sauté it for around 5 minutes on a medium flame until it gets roasted well.
If you want to try a different stir fry with the same comfort and ease, check out our Cherupayar Thoran.
Tips And Tricks
- Cut the beans into even-sized pieces to help them cook quickly and stay tender.
- You can cover the pan while cooking, but don’t keep it closed for too long or the beans will turn soggy.
- Stir often so the beans and other ingredients cook evenly without sticking or burning.
- Add water only if the pan feels too dry. Beans usually release enough moisture, so sprinkle just one spoonful at a time.
For another important Sadhya side, try our Pineapple Pachadi, a sweet-and-tangy dish that beautifully complements the flavors of sambar on a festive plate.
Serving Suggestions
Long beans Mezhukkupuratti is typically served as a side dish with steamed rice and curries such as Kerala Style Sambar, moru curry, parippu, or other Kerala curries. It adds more depth to the rice and curry combination.
It also pairs beautifully with kanji or curd rice 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, Pachadi , Olan, Kalan, Pappadam, Achar, and many other dishes.
Storage Instructions
Achinga Payar Mezhukkupuratti 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 avoid moisture buildup.
To reheat, warm it gently in a pan. You can add a small spoon of coconut oil while reheating to bring back its original flavor and gloss. Microwaving is possible, but pan-heating gives a better finish.
A Sadhya is never complete without its balance of flavors. While this dish adds its own place on the leaf, the light and tangy Moru Curry is another must-try that keeps the meal refreshing.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Yes. You can mix in raw plantain, potato, yam, carrot, or even coconut slices. Add tougher veggies first or pre-cook them so everything cooks evenly.
They may be overripe, undercooked, or cooked in hard water. Blanching fresh beans helps. Avoid adding acids like vinegar early.
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.
Achinga Payar Mezhukkupuratti (Kerala Style Long Beans Stir Fry)
Ingredients
- 500 g Long beans
- coconut oil / vegetable oil
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seed
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 number onion (medium)
- 1 teaspoon ginger (crushed)
- 1 teaspoon garlic (crushed)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon chilli powder
- salt
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet (Cast iron skillet works well). Splutter mustard seeds and then add curry leaves.
- Add chopped long beans, sliced onions, ginger, garlic, turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. Add 1 teaspoon oil and stir it well until well combined. Cover and cook. Don't add water. It naturally has a lot of water in it, which releases when they are cooked.
- Cook on medium heat until the water is almost dried up. Stir in between, otherwise it can get burnt. It might take around 15 - 20 minutes.
- Add 1- 2 teaspoon oil, sauté it for around 5 minutes on a medium flame until it gets roasted well.
Notes
- Cut the beans into even-sized pieces to help them cook quickly and stay tender.
- You can cover the pan while cooking, but don’t keep it closed for too long or the beans will turn soggy.
- Stir often so the beans and other ingredients cook evenly without sticking or burning.
- Add water only if the pan feels too dry. Beans usually release enough moisture, so sprinkle just one spoonful at a time.
Love your Kerala style recipes. This was so good than I have made this twice in two weeks. with second one for Onasadya. Everyone loved the taste. Easy instructions to follow. I might have overdid on onions but came out great
Thanks Jithin!! Thanks for the picture
Thank you. It turned out to be delicious.