Red Spinach Thoran

(Cheera Thoran)

Ingredients

Spinach (chopped) – 5 cups
Sliced shallots – ½ cup
Crushed garlic – 3 cloves
Grated coconut – 1 cup
Cumin powder – ¼ tsp
Green chillies – 2
Turmeric powder – a pinch
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Cooking oil
Salt to taste

Directions

1. Grind coconut, green chillies, turmeric powder and cumin into a coarse paste.
2.Combine the chopped spinach with some salt and keep aside.
3.Heat oil in a non stick pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add shallots, garlic, curry leaves and sauté for a few minutes.
4.Add the chopped spinach and mix everything. Cover and cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
5.Spread out the spinach so that the water evaporates easily. When the water has almost evaporated, add the coconut mixture and combine everything together. Add more salt if needed.
6.Cover the pan and cook on low flame for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally or until the spinach is cooked.
7. Remove the lid and stir fry carefully for another 2-3 minutes so that all water evaporates and the spinach is not soggy.

Omaikka Thoran

Ingredients

Omaikka(Raw Pappaya) - 1(grated)
Shallots - 8 (diced)
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Green chillies -3 (cut into small pieces)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves
Vegetable oil
Salt to taste

Directions

1. In a nonstick pan heat oil, add mustard. After the mustard pops, add curry leaves and half of the diced shallots. Fry shallots lightly. Then add the grated rawpappaya, salt to taste and mix well. Sprinkle some water. Put a tight lid on the pan and cook on a very slow heat for 2 to 3 mintues, till the pappaya is cooked.
2. Coarsely grind the grated coconut,half of the diced shallots,turmeric powder, cumin seeds and green chillies.
3. Add the coarsely ground ingredients and mix in. Close with lid and cook for two or three minutes. Then open the lid, stir and fry for a minute.
4. Serve hot.

Vendaikka Thoran

Ingredients

Ladies finger(Vendakka/Okra) - 15 nos
Onion(large) - 1 (finely chopped)
Green chillies- 3 (chopped)
Mustard seeds - ½ tsp
Grated coconut – 2 ½ tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Cooking oil
Salt to taste

Directions

1. Cut ladies finger into small round pieces.

2. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds.

3. When they begin to crackle, add turmeric powder, onion, green chillies, grated coconut and ladies finger with salt.

4. Mix well and keep it covered.

5. Do not add water at all. Stir after every two minutes till the ladies finger is done.Serve hot with rice.

Raw Banana Thoran

Ingredients

Raw banana (cut into small pieces) – 300 gms
Sliced shallots – ¼ cup
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Green chilies – 3 (chopped)
Shredded coconut – ¼ cup
Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Salt to taste
Cooking oil

Directions

1. Cook the raw banana with little water, turmeric powder and salt.
2. Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, add sliced shallots and saute till it becomes light brown.
3. Add the cooked raw banana, shredded coconut , green chilies and cumin seeds
4. Cover and cook for a few minutes. Open the lid and stir till the mixture is completely dry.

Beans & Carrot Thoran

Ingredients

Chopped beans - 2 cups
Grated carrot – 2 cups
Grated coconut – ¼ cup
Shallots – 2 Nos
Green chillies - 3 Nos.
Cumin seeds – ¼ tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Vegetable oil – 1 tsp
Curry leaves
Salt to taste

Directions

1. Cook beans and carrot with turmeric powder and salt in little water.
2. Crush the grated coconut, cumin seeds, shallots and green chillies and add to the cooked beans and carrot. Mix well.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. Add curry leaves.
4. Add the beans and carrot into the pan, stir well and cook it for 2 minutes.

Beetroot Thoran

Ingredients

Beetroot (shredded) – 400gms
Sliced shallots – ¼ cup
Green chilies – 3 (chopped)
Shredded coconut – ¼ cup
Ginger – 1’’ piece (chopped)
Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Salt to taste
Cooking oil

Directions

1. Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, add sliced shallots and saute till it becomes light brown.
2. Add the shredded beetroot, coconut , green chilies, ginger and salt.
3. Cover and cook for a few minutes. Open the lid and stir till the mixture is completely dry. (No need to add water, there is enough water in the beetroot to cook itself.)

Carrot Thoran

Ingredients

Medium sized carrots - 5(grated)
Sliced shallots - ¼ cup
Green chillies - 3(chopped)
Shredded coconut - ¼ cup
Ginger - 1" piece(chopped)
Mustard seeds - ¼ tsp
Cooking oil
Salt to taste

Directions

1. Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds,add sliced shallots and saute till it becomes light brown.
2. Add the grated carrot, coconut, green chillies, ginger and salt.
3. Cover and cook for a few minutes. Open the lid and stir till the mixture is completely dry. (No need to add water, there is enough water in the carrot to cook itself.)

Spinach Thoran

Ingredients

Spinach (chopped) – 5 cups

Sliced shallots – ½ cup

Crushed garlic – 3 cloves

Grated coconut – 1 cup

Cumin powder – ¼ tsp

Green chillies – 2

Turmeric powder – a pinch

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp

Cooking oil

Salt to taste

Directions

1. Grind coconut, green chillies, turmeric powder and cumin into a coarse paste.

2.Combine the chopped spinach with some salt and keep aside.

3.Heat oil in a non stick pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add shallots, garlic, curry leaves and sauté for a few minutes.

4.Add the chopped spinach and mix everything. Cover and cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

5.Spread out the spinach so that the water evaporates easily. When the water has almost evaporated, add the coconut mixture and combine everything together. Add more salt if needed.

6.Cover the pan and cook on low flame for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally or until the spinach is cooked.

7. Remove the lid and stir fry carefully for another 2-3 minutes so that all water evaporates and the spinach is not soggy.

Vanpayar Thoran

Ingredients

Red gram(vanpayar) – 2 cups
Chopped onion – ½ cup
Grated coconut – ½ cup
Crushed garlic - 2 or 3
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Cumin powder – ½ tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Curry leaves
Salt to taste
Cooking oil

Directions

1. Cook the red gram with water separately in a pressure cooker.
2. Mix the cooked red gram with all the other ingredients. Heat oil in the pan and add mustard seeds. Once it splutters add all the ingredients to it. Keep the pan covered and cook in a low flame till it is cooked.
3. Garnish with curry leaves.

Potato Thoran

Ingredients

Potatoes - 2 (medium, finely cut)
Chopped onion - ½ cup
Grated coconut – ¼ cup
Green chillies – 2 (chopped)
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Cooking oil
Curry leaves
Salt to taste

Directions

1. Peel and cut the potatoes into thin pieces.
2. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.
3. Add green chillies and curry leaves and sauté for few seconds.
4. Add chopped onions and sauté for a minute.
5. Add the potatoes and salt and mix well with a spoon and cook it covered until the potato is done.

Ullithandu Thoran

Ingredients

Ullithandu (Spring Onion) - 400gms
Green chillies – 3 or 4
Shredded coconut – ¼ cup
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Cumin powder -1 pinch
Salt to taste

Directions
1. Cut the spring onions and green chillies into small pieces.
2. Mix it with shredded coconut, salt, curry leaves, turmeric powder and cumin powder, and cook on a low flame.
3. When it is cooked, open the lid and keep the flame very low for some time so that all the water evaporates and it becomes little dry.

Cabbage Thoran

Ingredients
Shredded cabbage – One small or half of a big cabbage head.
Grated coconut -1 cup
Green chillies – 5-6
Shallots or onion thinly sliced– ½ cup
Cumin seeds – ¼ tsp
Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Salt to taste
Cooking oil -1 tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp (optional)

Directions

1. Heat a pan and pour oil. Add mustard seeds to it and allow it to splutter.
2. Add the onion and stir for 3 minutes. Add the curry leaves, cumin seeds and turmeric powder. Fry for 30 seconds.
3. Then add the cabbage, coconut, green chillies and salt. Mix well.
4. Cover the pan with a lid, stir the cabbage every 2 minutes and cook for 6 minutes.

Beans Thoran

Ingredients

Chopped beans - 2 cups
Grated coconut – ¼ cup
Garlic cloves – 2
Shallots – 2 Nos
Green chillies - 3 Nos.
Cumin seeds – ¼ tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Vegetable oil – 1 tsp
Curry leaves
Salt to taste

Directions

1. Cook beans with turmeric powder and salt in little water.
2. Crush the grated coconut, cumin seeds, garlic, shallots and green chillies and add to the cooked beans. Mix well.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. Add curry leaves.
4. Add the beans into the pan, stir well and cook it for 2 minutes.

Payar Thoran

Ingredients

Green gram - 1/2 cup (Also known as Moong Dal)
Chilly - 1 no. (medium diced)
Garlic - 2 nos. (finely diced or crushed)
Shallots - 2 nos. (finely diced)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Crushed pepper - 1 tsp (optional)
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Shredded coconut - 2 tbsp (fresh or dried coconut can be used)
Salt to taste

Directions

1. Wash and soak the green gram for about 30 mins. Soaking helps cook the dal easier.
2. Pressure cook the green gram with 1 cup of water for about 20 mins in a medium flame and then switch of the flame. Let it sit in the pressure cooker for about 15 mins.
3. In a hot pan, pour oil, add mustard seeds. Let it splutter.
4. Add garlic, shallots and turmeric powder and sauté for about 1 min.
5. Add the chilly,coconut and curry leaves and sauté for 30 sec.
6. Add the cooked green gram and finally the salt and pepper. Stir everything together for about 1-2 mins and then switch off the flame.