Kerala Thoran

  My version

If there's thoran for lunch, I'll eat lots of it and less of rice. I love thoran. And I have tried making thoran with many different vegetables like bitter guard, carrots, beans, cabbage, gherkins, beetroot, snake beans etc etc..

This is a thoran made with carrots, long beans and cabbage. I've seen different people make thoran in different ways. This is how I make it.

Ingredients :
Carrots (finely chopped)	-		1 cup
Snake beans (finely chopped)	-		1 cup
Cabbage (finely chopped)	-		1 and 1/2 cups
Onion (finely chopped)	-		1 large
Mustard seeds	-		1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves	-		2 stems
Asafoetida powder	-		a pinch
Grated fresh coconut	-		1 and 1/2 cups
Shallots (large)	-		5-6 nos.
Garlic	-		2 cloves
Green chillies	-		2 nos.
Cumin powder	-		1/2 teaspoon
Fennel powder	-		1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder	-		1/4 teaspoon
Water	-		1/3 cup
Salt	-		To taste.

A very healthy.. you can say, cooked salad which is an inevitable part of Kerala lunch meal. Be it vegetarians or non-vegetarians, everyone has it.

Preparation Method :

Coarsely grind 3/4 cup coconut, the shallots, garlic, green chillies, fennel powder and cumin powder. In a wok, heat coconut oil. Crackle the mustard seeds. Throw in the onions and curry leaves and sauté for a minute. Throw in some asafoetida powder. Add the ground coconut mixture. Adding this at this stage so that the garlic and shallots slightly cook. Add the turmeric powder. Some people add turmeric while grinding the coconut. But that's ok if your grinder is steel or glass. Mine is plastic and the turmeric leaves yellow stains. Now add the finely chopped veggies and enough salt. Give it a quick stir and sprinkle rest of the coconut. Mix well and keep stirring for 4-5 minutes. Add a little water and again mix well and gather everything together and cook slowly on very low flame. Some people keep it closed. I feel the vegetables loose its colour and crunchiness if so. So, let it cook slowly this way. Cook for 10 minutes, occasionally stirring. I still cherish the taste of the best thoran I have eaten, at my uncle's house. The girl who would come to help my aunt used to prepare it and I discovered the secret. She would keep stirring it, so it would cook evenly maintaining the crunch and freshness of the veggies and coconut. Try it, even if you are not a Keralite. You will surely love it. Normally served with rice, but, Its amazing when served with chapatis too.