beans poriyal

Beans Poriyal (Green Beans Fry)

By Swasthi on March 7, 2023, Comments, Jump to Recipe

Beans Poriyal also known as Green Beans Fry, is a traditional South Indian dish made with green beans, spices, curry leaves and coconut. “Poriyal” is a Tamil word for “stir fried” or “sautéed dish” usually made with vegetables or leafy greens. It can be made with many different kinds of vegetables like carrots, cabbage, okra, bitter gourd, potatoes and a lot more. This Indian Beans Poriyal is delicious, healthy and makes for a great side in your everyday meal. Make it on the stovetop in a pan or in the Instant pot following this recipe.

beans poriyal is South Indian Green beans fry

In South Indian Cuisine, usually stir fried dishes like this green beans fry is eaten with rice, rasam or sambar. But it also goes well in a school/ office lunch and can be eaten with any meal.

About Beans Poriyal

The most common preparation of a poriyal begins with tempering mustard seeds, red chilli, lentils and curry leaves in oil, followed by stir frying the vegetables until tender. Lastly the dish is spiced and finished with fresh grated coconut.

Though fresh grated coconut is what makes the Traditional Tamil Nadu poriyal so special, it can also be made without it. Simply use your favorite spice powder like idli podi, peanut podi or spiced coconut powder. It will still taste good. I have the details in the recipe card notes.

Here I have used green beans but you can also use tender Chinese long beans or any other kind. A lot of times I make this beans poriyal with the Chinese long beans too. You can also add some carrots along with beans for a more colorful dish.

Choose young and tender beans as they cook faster and taste better. I have also shared the instructions to make this in the instant pot in the recipe card below.

For more vegetable stir fry recipes, you can check
Bitter gourd stir fry
Potato stir fry
Vendakkai poriyal
Carrot stir fry
Ladies finger stir fry

green beans fry is nothing but South Indian beans poriyal

How to make Green Beans Poriyal (Stepwise photos)

Preparation

1. Nip off both the ends of the beans and remove the fibrous strings if any. For tender & young beans there will be no strings on the sides. For this recipe I have used about 250 grams.

preparing beans to make beans poriyal

2. I usually spray some vinegar and allow them to rest for 10 mins. Then soak for another 10 mins and then wash off a few times. Drain water completely.

rinsing french beans to make poriyal

3. Hold a handful of beans together and begin to chop them to the desired size. If beans are not tender, then it is good to chop them to small sizes. This helps them cook faster. If using young french beans then you can chop them to almost half inch long.

chopped french beans to make poriyal

Make poriyal

4. Heat 1 to 1½ tablespoon oil in a pan or kadai. Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 broken red chili, 1 teaspoon urad dal and 1 teaspoon chana dal. Fry them until golden. If you do not have the lentils you may skip them but they impart a nutty aroma.

tempering to make beans poriyal

5. Then add 1 pinch hing and 1 sprig curry leaves. Saute for a while until the leaves turn crisp.

adding hing and curry leaves

6. Add chopped beans, ⅛ teaspoon turmeric and ⅓ teaspoon salt. Stir fry for about 2 mins.

adding beans salt and turmeric for beans poriyal

7. Cover and cook for 2 mins on a low flame. After 2 to 3 mins, open the lid to check if it has released any moisture.

cook covered

8. If the beans look too dry, sprinkle some water, a few tablespoons would be good enough. If beans are fresh and tender they tend to get cooked with their own moisture, you may not need to add any water.

sprinkle water

9. When the French beans are cooked completely to tender, then add ½ teaspoon red chili powder or ¾ tsp sambar powder. You can also use 1 to 2 tbsp peanut podi, flax seed podi or idli podi.

spice powder to make french beans poriyal

10. Add fresh grated coconut or desiccated coconut.

adding coconut to make french beans

11. Stir well and saute for a minute. Switch off the stove.

frying beans poriyal

Serve beans poriyal with rice, rasam and sambar.

beans poriyal

Pro Tips

Green Beans: Use tender, fresher and young green beans that are crisp, feel firm and easily snap. Mature beans that are harvested later won’t cook faster in the pan. This is a stir fried dish so young veggies go well as we don’t cook them with water in the recipe.

Coconut: Though traditionally fresh grated coconut is used. It can easily be replaced with frozen or unsweetened desiccated coconut or with copra. Though desiccated coconut won’t taste the same it is just okay to use. A better substitute is to use idli podi or chutney podi.

Related Recipes

Recipe Card

Beans Poriyal (Indian Green Beans Fry)

Beans poriyal is a traditional South Indian dish made with green beans, spices, curry leaves and fresh coconut. Serve it with rice, roti or as a side in any meal. Make it on the stovetop in a pan or in the Instant Pot.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Servings3
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

  • 250 grams green beans (preferably fresh and tender)
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons coconut (fresh, frozen or desiccated unsweetened)
  • ½ teaspoon chilli powder or ¾ tsp sambar powder or 1 green chilli
  • 1 to 1½ tablespoon oil
  • ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon urad dal (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon chana dal (optional)
  • teaspoon hing (asafoetida) (optional)
  • 1 red chilli broken
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • teaspoon turmeric
  • teaspoon salt


Instructions

  • Cut off both the edges of beans. Rinse them well in lot of water or under running water. Drain them.
  • Chop to ¼ inch pieces.

How to make Green Beans Poriyal

  • Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard, urad dal, chana dal and red chili. 
  • When the dal turn golden, add hing and curry leaves. 
  • Fry till the curry leaves turn crisp.
  • Add chopped beans,turmeric along with salt and saute for 2 mins.
  • Cook covered for 2 to 3 mins on a low flame. This helps to release the moisture.
  • If needed sprinkle 1 to 2 tbsps water. Cover and cook until soft and tender.
  • Add sambar powder or chili powder and coconut.
  • Mix well and saute for a minute.
  • Switch off and serve beans poriyal with rice.

Instant pot Green Beans Poriyal

  • It is important to chop the beans to at least ½ inch pieces. If you chop them too small, they will become mushy.
  • Press saute button on your instant pot. Pour oil to the steel insert.
  • When the oil turns hot, add mustard, red chili, urad dal and chana dal. Saute for a minute or so until the dal turns golden.
  • Then stir in curry leaves and hing. Add chopped beans, turmeric and salt.
  • Press cancel and pour 2 tablespoons water. Mix and secure the Instant pot with the lid. Press pressure cook and set the timer to "zero" minutes.
  • Once done, quick release the instant pot carefully. Open the lid and add red chilli powder or sambar powder. Mix well and saute just for a minute or so until the sambar powder smells good. If you see any moisture at the bottom, simply evaporate it. Add coconut and mix well.
  • Stir beans poriyal and serve it.


Notes

  1. If you do not have coconut, use this peanut podi 
  2. Instant pot version has not been tested with frozen beans. It works well with tender and fresh green beans.

Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

Video

Watch Indian Green Beans Fry

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Beans Poriyal (Indian Green Beans Fry)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 96 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 7mg0%
Potassium 188mg5%
Carbohydrates 9g3%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 185IU4%
Vitamin C 45.9mg56%
Calcium 11mg1%
Iron 1.4mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

© Swasthi’s Recipes

Beans poriyal first published in January 2017. Updated and republished in July 2021.

Beans Poriyal (Green Beans Fry)

About Swasthi

I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me

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5 stars
I tried this recipe today for thanksgiving. It turned out pretty good. I tried 3x recipe and needed more than 1 tsp salt. I also added 2 tsp jaggery at the end and it gave a nice taste.

5 stars
I made this today to accompany roti and Lamb curry. Was delicious and easy to make. Thank you for sharing and having such detailed instructions

5 stars
Tried this out last night and it turned out so well to have with chapati. Thank you ??

Thanks for this recipe! I’m excited to try it tonight! By the way, your “Print Recipe” link is not working on the post.

5 stars
Great recipe

5 stars
Thank you so much for this recipe—it was delicious! I am a vegan and made it for my main dinner dish and ate it all myself. My only regret is that I should have tripled it!!! I love your recipes. ❤️

5 stars
Swasthi..your recipes have been a life saver during the lockdown..esp for someone who rarely cooks. Your recipes are simple, delicious and easy to follow. And you have made cooking fun for me. Thank you. I’m a dedicated follower.

5 stars
Excellent, very simple, easy, healthy, God bless u, thanks

5 stars
Thanks a lot..after 9years my beans poriyal become so yummy…

Ma’am I really don’t like beans went through your recipes tried the bean recipe came out lovely.

I tried this and it came out very well

5 stars
I tried this and it came out very well
And thank you so much for sharing this recipe..

5 stars
Nice recipe, thanks for sharing.?????
I was looking for some curry dishes with the different type of south Indian rice.

5 stars
When you use those small amounts of 2 types of dal, has the dal been soaked?

Thank you,
Rebecca

5 stars
Thank you Swasthi, This dish came out very tasty

Thanks alot mam

My first kid was very lean i tried ur weight gaining foods from 8 months now she is ok .my younger baby was 6 months And 7kgs now only she drinks my milk only we have a cow can i feed cows milk or other foods

5 stars
Hi mam my baby now 6months old can i feed cows milk to her