Green Beans / French Beans Thoran

French or Green Beans thoran is a very often made sabzi in Kerala. This vegetable may be considered too common to feature in feasts in many places across the country but in Kerala, there are no qualms in including a beans thoran in a sadya. In fact, most times in a sadya, the thoran is either cabbage or green beans. Green beans is rich in Vitamin C, K, A, Manganese, Folate, Vitamin B6, B2, B1 and fiber. Unlike other carotenoid rich vegetables like carrot and pumpkin which are orange colored, beans hides its high carotenoid content under its chlorophyll rich green color. So, follow your mother's advise to "eat your beans" because it is healthy.

Ingredients

Beans - 2 cups, cut finely

Green Chillies - 3

Curry leaves - 5 to 6

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Turmeric pwd - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Coconut - 3 tbsp

Onion - 1/4

Wash and slit the green chillies, chop the onion finely and keep aside. Using a silbatta / mortar pestle crush the grated coconut and chopped onion together.

Heat a kadai add the oil. When the oil is hot add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the curry leaves, the green chillies, turmeric powder, followed by the green beans. Sprinkle some water and add a little salt. Sauté and cover with a lid, pour some water on the lid and let it cook. Remove the lid and stir in between ensuring that it does not catch the bottom. When the beans has cooked but is still crunchy, add the crushed coconut and onion mix and stir and mix well. Continue stirring for a few minutes till the onion loses it raw taste and then take it off the heat.

Serve the beans thoran with rice, sambhar and pickle.