“Palya is a classic South Indian recipe usually composed of a single vegetable chopped into bite-size pieces and sautéed in oil that has been seasoned with black mustard seeds, asafetida, chile, and curry leaves” says recipe developer and cookbook author Chitra Agrawal. “The dish is then finished with lemon juice, grated coconut, and cilantro. Depending on which state in South India you are in, this same preparation is referred to by different names, such as thoran or poriyal. While seasonal produce is preferred, the combination makes even the saddest of vegetables at the back of your fridge sing. Green beans are my favorite choice, but the recipe is extremely flexible and can be applied to beets, cabbage, potatoes, and, as I recently discovered, asparagus.” Read more about palya here. To make it a full meal, serve with chitranna or plain rice, raita or yogurt, and achar. Green beans palya also pairs well with roti.
What you’ll need
Measuring Cups
$28 At Bon Appétit Market
Measuring Spoons
$10 At Bon Appétit Market
Small Bowl
$15 At Amazon
Chef's Knife
$34.53 At Amazon
Cutting Board
$10 At IKEA
Large Skillet with Lid
$40 At Amazon
Wooden Spoon
$7 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
4 Servings
Ingredients
¼
1
1
1
½
1
1
4–5
¼
¾
1
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
If using ¼ cup frozen grated coconut, microwave in a small bowl in 15 second bursts or place in a colander and set under warm running water until thawed. If using ¼ cup dried unsweetened shredded coconut, place in a small bowl and pour in hot water to cover. Let sit until ready to use.
Step 2
Trim or snap off stem ends of 1 lb. green beans. Align 4–5 beans on cutting board and slice into ¼" pieces. Repeat with remaining beans.
Step 3
Combine 1 tsp. chana dal and 1 tsp. urad dal (if using), ½ tsp. black mustard seeds, and a pinch of asafetida in a small bowl. Heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil over medium-high. As soon as oil is shimmering, add a mustard seed. When the oil around the seed starts to sizzle or the seed starts to move, add remaining spice mixture. Cook, covering with a lid as needed to contain the mustard seeds while they are popping and stirring so mixture evenly toasts, until very fragrant and sputtering has subsided, about 1 minute.
Step 4
Reduce heat to low. Break 1 dried red chile in half and add to wok. Rub 4–5 fresh curry leaves between your fingers to release oils and add to wok. Cover immediately (the moisture from the curry leaves will cause the oil to spatter). As soon as sputtering subsides, uncover and stir to evenly coat in oil.
Step 5
Increase heat to medium; add green beans and ¼ tsp. ground turmeric to the pan and toss to combine. Mix in ¾ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt and cook, tossing, 1 minute. Add 2 Tbsp. water and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover, and cook beans until tender, about 5 minutes.
Step 6
Uncover beans and stir in ¼ cup fresh grated coconut, thawed frozen coconut, or drained dried coconut. Cook, tossing, 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Step 7
Coarsely chop some cilantro leaves with tender stems. Stir in lemon juice. Taste and season with more salt or add more lemon juice if needed. Scatter cilantro over. Serve with Chitranna or plain rice, raita or yogurt, and achar.
