Thoran (pronounced ); or upperi in Northern Kerala is a class of dry vegetable dishes combined with coconut that originated in the Indian state of

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

. This common dish is usually eaten with rice and curry and is also part of the traditional Keralite ''

sadhya Sadya (), also spelt as sadhya, is a meal of Kerala origin and of importance to all Malayalis, consisting of a variety of traditional vegetarian dishes usually served on a banana leaf as lunch. Sadya is typically served as a traditional feast ...

''.

Preparation

Thoran is a dry dish traditionally made of finely chopped vegetables such as cabbage,

yardlong bean The asparagus bean (''Vigna unguiculata'' subsp. ''sesquipedalis'') is a legume cultivated for its edible green pods containing immature seeds, like the green bean. It is also known as yardlong bean, pea bean, long-podded cowpea, Chinese long ...

and other bean varieties, unripe

jackfruit The jackfruit or ''nangka'' (''Artocarpus heterophyllus'') is a species of tree in the Common fig, fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae). The jackfruit is the largest tree fruit, reaching as much as in weight, in length, and in d ...

, bittergourd () or elephant foot yam, of leaves such as green or red

spinach Spinach (''Spinacia oleracea'') is a leafy green flowering plant native to Central Asia, Central and Western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common vegetable consumed eit ...

(), ''

Moringa oleifera ''Moringa oleifera'' is a short-lived, fast-growing, drought-resistant tree of the family Moringaceae, native to northern India and used extensively in South Asia, South and Southeast Asia. Common names include moringa, drumstick tree (from th ...

'' or ''

Ipomoea aquatica ''Ipomoea aquatica'', commonly known as water spinach or kangkung, is a semi- aquatic, tropical plant grown as a vegetable for its tender shoots. ''I. aquatica'' is generally believed to have been first domesticated in Southeast Asia. It is wi ...

'', as well as of flowers such as ''Moringa oleifera'' or '' Sesbania grandiflora''. The chopped vegetable is mixed with grated

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...

, mustard seeds, curry leaves and turmeric powder and briefly sauteed on a pan over high heat.

Variants

Thoran can be also made with

carrot The carrot ('' Daucus carota'' subsp. ''sativus'') is a root vegetable, typically orange in colour, though heirloom variants including purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist, all of which are domesticated forms of the wild ...

green bean Green beans are young, unripe fruits of various cultivars of the common bean ('' Phaseolus vulgaris''), although immature or young pods of the runner bean ('' Phaseolus coccineus''), yardlong bean ( ''Vigna unguiculata'' subsp. ''sesquipedali ...

cabbage Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of '' Brassica oleracea'', is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage ( ''B.& ...

, green tomatoes or

, vegetables that were traditionally not available in Kerala. The traditional recipes made in southern Kerala do not use

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plants in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chives, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. Garlic is native to central and south Asia, str ...

, but in the present day, garlic and

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' , from Latin ), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion which was classifie ...

are also added.

References

External links

*{{commons category inline, position=left Kerala cuisine Indian vegetable dishes Vegan cuisine South Indian cuisine Vegetarian dishes of India

Preparation

Variants

See also

References

External links