Avarakkai Poriyal | Avarakkai

Firstly rinse 200 grams avarakkai very well. Drain all the water. Then string each flat bean and pull the pods apart. Discard the strings.

You will have to open each pod to check if there is a worm or a mould in it. Discard the bean if it has a mould or worm in it.

Then chop the beans. You can collect some of all the opened beans together and then chop them on a chopping board. You will need 2.5 cups chopped avarakkai. Keep aside.

In a pan or kadai, heat 2 tablespoons coconut oil or gingelly oil or sunflower oil or peanut oil. Keep flame to a low. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds.

Let mustard seeds begin to crackle.

When the mustard seeds begin to crackle and splutter, add ½ teaspoon urad dal.

Stirring often fry urad dal on a low flame. fry till the urad dal turns golden.

Then add 1 green chilli, chopped or 1 dry red chilli (broken and seeds removed), 2 pinches asafoetida (hing) and 7 to 8 small to medium sized curry leaves (whole or chopped). If the pan becomes too hot, then you can switch off the flame.

Mix well. If using red chillies then they should change color.

Now add the chopped avarakkai. Add salt as per taste. Mix very well.

Add ½ cup water or add as required. Mix again well.

Cover pan with a lid and on a low to medium-low flame cook the avarakkai.

In between do stir and check if the water has not dried up. If the water dries up, you can add some more water. Then continue to cover and cook.

On a low to medium-low flame, cover and cook the avarakkai beans for a total of about 20 to 22 minutes till they are tender and softened.

Once the flat beans are well cooked, then there should be no water in the poriyal before you start with the next step. So cook without lid till all the water dries up. Stir occasionally.

Then add 3 tablespoons coconut. You can also add 2 to 3 tablespoons of desiccated coconut flakes instead of fresh coconut. Frozen grated coconut can also be added.

Mix very well and saute avarakkai poriyal for a minute on low flame.

Serve avarakkai poriyal hot or warm as a side dish with chapatis or with sambar-rice, rasam-rice, kulambu-rice or dal-rice. While serving you can also garnish with some chopped coriander leaves.