Thanks to the Instant Pot, it’s easier than ever to make green bean thoran! This tasty green bean stir-fry is the perfect side to any Indian meal.
What is Thoran?
Like most recipes for “thoran” (stir-fry), this green bean dish is made with a few spices, grated coconut, and curry leaves. This is a common side dish served in Keralite homes and can be made with all sorts of vegetables.
If you’ve never heard of the word “thoran” before, it just means “stir fry” and is a traditional Keralite way of cooking. You can make anything into a thoran! You need to grate or chop vegetables, mix them up with a few other ingredients and stir-fry it all together.
I started making thoran after marrying my husband, whose family is from Kerala. It’s now my favorite way to cook vegetables because while flavorful, it’s not overpowering. It’s a side dish that allows for the veggie to really shine.
My husband has been eating thoran all his life and has tried just about every type of thoran one can have – and green bean thoran is his all-time favorite. I love green bean thoran too, but Beet Thoran is my favorite – after all, my heart beets for beets! 😂 And while I could happily eat beets daily, it’s nice to change things up sometimes – especially for the sake of family members who don’t share quite as much enthusiasm for beets.
You can make almost anything into a thoran. Here are just a few thoran recipes on my blog: beetroot, zucchini, butternut squash, cabbage, sardines (yep, even sardines…).
My Secret to Making This Really Fast:
This thoran calls for a 1 minute cook time in the instant pot. BUT the prep time can take a while, especially if you chop the green beans yourself. If I want it to look pretty for guests (like in the picture above), I’ll meticulously chop the green beans by hand, but if I’m making this for the family, I’ll take the easy route and use the chopping blade in my food processor. Sorry, fam.
What to Serve with Thoran?
Thoran is typically served alongside other Keralite dishes like the ones below (but you can serve this with any Indian meal!):
Those are just a few ideas! I have a ton of Indian Recipes on my site – from all over Indian: north and south.
Just so you know, our little family is mixed: I’m Punjabi, my husband is Keralite, and our toddler is a bit of both 😉 so I put all sorts of Indian dishes on our dinner table, and you know what? Sometimes it’s really nice to have different yet somewhat similar flavors on the table. Don’t worry about being “authentic” – serve this green bean side with what you want!
I can’t wait to hear what you think 🙂
Instant Pot Green Bean Thoran
Instant Pot Green Bean Thoran
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans chopped
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
- ½ onion finely diced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ¼ Serrano pepper or green chili minced, adjust to taste
- 15 curry leaves
- ½ cup grated coconut*
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Chop the green beans into small pieces and set aside.
- Press the sauté button then add the coconut oil. Once it melts, add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the onion, garlic, Serrano pepper and curry leaves. Stir- fry for 1-2 minutes, then add the green beans, coconut, turmeric and salt.
- Give everything a quick stir, then pour the water into the pot.
- Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 1 minute at high pressure.
- Open the valve to quick release any remaining pressure.
- Stir everything together until well combined. If there’s any water remaining in the pot, press sauté to boil it off.
Stella says
Do you chop up/mince the curry leaves or leave them whole and remove them after cooking?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Stella, you can do either – chop if you plan to eat, or leave whole if you want to remove them or have the choice to eat/remove. I usually leave them whole and eat a few and remove the rest 🙂
Preetha says
I tried this recipe yesterday and it was great! Fairly easy to put together and healthy! I didn’t have grated coconut so I used desiccated coconut. I found that I had to increase the cook time though- to about four minutes. I’m wondering if it’s because of the desiccated coconut. Regardless, it was great! Thanks for a great recipe! 😊
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Glad you liked it, Preetha!
Hazel says
Hi! Can desiccated coconut be used instead? Can’t find fresh/frozen in my area.
My Heart Beets says
Hi Hazel, I haven’t tried it this way but I’m sure it’ll be fine – a little different, but still good, I’m sure. The desiccated coconut will absorb water and so if the coconut seems dry, try adding a tablespoon of water at a time until it’s rehydrated.
Anjalika says
Omg!!! This was so yummy and easy!!! I used a food
processor to chop the processor so it was even faster.
Highly recommend this ❤️😋
My Heart Beets says
Hi Anjalika! I’m so glad you liked the thoran so much! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out 🙂
Jessica Siegel says
My husband doesn’t like the taste of coconut. Should I try leaving the coconut flakes out? Is there anything you recommend substituting it for? Thanks so much!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Jessica, I’d try it as written and see what he thinks – it’s not overly coconutty. If you leave it out it’ll change the taste and texture of this dish. You can always make my aloo beans recipe for a green bean recipe without coconut: https://myheartbeets.com/instant-pot-aloo-beans/
Jessica siegel says
Thanks so much for your advice! I’ll try as is. Good to know it’s not overly coconutty.
You are the best and your website has changed my life! I now love cooking!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Jessica! Let me know what you think of the thoran 🙂
Elyse says
How about pole beans for this?
Mickie says
Ashley, I made the Instant Pot Green Bean Thoran this afternoon & it’s the tastiest I have made! Thanks to you! I’ve tried several recipes but this is by far the best. My husband, Sebastian is from Kerala & oh how I love to visit as it’s such a beautiful state! I always look forward to having the wonderful food that part of the world has to offer. I purchased your cookbook & look forward to trying many of the recipes. Thank you for sharing your recipes! I so much appreciate it & so does Sebastian! 😘
My Heart Beets says
Mickie, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how the thoran turned out! I hope you and your hubby love all of the recipes you try from the book and my blog 🙂
Tiffany says
Can this recipe be modified and done without an instant pot?
Kalpana says
I just found your blog and I am loving all the recipies and the idea that you want us to make Indian cooking easy on other people. The only question I have is, what tool do you suggest for chopping vegetables. I realise that I want to make lot of vegetables and all of them require lot of chopping and it is that chopping and cleaning which takes up most of my time. Once they are in pan to cook, it is not that much time. 🙂
My Heart Beets says
Kalpana, thank you! You can use a food processor – it makes chopping (and grating/shredding) really easy! I use mine to chop green beans for this thoran all the time – the only thing is, if you want the green beans to look perfectly chopped you have to do it by hand. For everyday meals though, the food processor is a huge time saver.