Mix Veg Thoran + Ayurveda Giveaway!

In Kerala, south India, where I’ve spent the past month, there is a dish we have every day in one variation or another, which I want to share with you because it is so Ayurvedic – nutritious, delicious, tridoshic, and easy to make.

It is called Thoran – a “dry” vegetable dish combined with grated coconut that is typically served with rice, curry, and dal. Traditionally made of finely chopped vegetables such as cabbage, long beans, gourd, yam, red spinach, moringa leaves, or even edible flowers, thoran is sautéed with grated coconut, mustard seeds, curry leaves and turmeric for a really unique flavor.

Here is a photo of the Red Spinach Thoran from the lunch offerings at the Ayurveda clinic where we stay in Kerala. In the second photo below, you can see that it is served with a soupy dal and veg curry (nestled together in the bowl), as well as a yogurty Pulissery.

Dry versus wet is a concept in Indian cooking. Well loved are the wet curries where the ingredients are cooked in a gravy, a broader definition of the term than we are used to.

In this photo below you can see an example of this in the creamy vegetable curry, that is here served with appam and coconut chutney for breakfast. Also in this photo is some red rice and an ela ada, cardamom treat wrapped and steamed in banana leaf, on a small dosa.

So what is dry, and why is it important? Indian dishes are considered dry when they are cooked in lesser amounts of liquid and left to simmer for that liquid to evaporate, leaving the ingredients well-coated in this reduced sauce, often creating a more intense flavor.

You might be familiar with classic dry dishes such as tandoori, tikka or chaat masala, but even Kitchari can be made dry or wet, depending on your purpose. If it is springtime, or you are feeling Kapha, which is characterized by heaviness and an imbalance of the water element, then a dry Kitchari may be best for you. A wet, soupy Kitchari is ideal in late autumn/early winter, or any time we feel dry, rough, depleted.

Thoran is not just dry, it is also rough. A student of Ayurveda might recognize dry and rough as two of the Gunas, the attributes of nature also known as the Ten Pairs of Opposites, dry and rough being the two most specific to Vata dosha.

Still, thoran is considered appropriate for all doshas. Its dry and rough qualities make it excellent for Kapha and Pitta, while the sweetness of the coconut, and in this case the carrot, with the gentle digestive spices, balance the Vata. Still, it is best served with something wet and smooth, like a dal, a creamy curry, or a soupy rice, as is typical in Kerala.

Let me know what you think. It’s different, but it’s become one of my favorites.

MANALTHEERAM MIX VEG THORAN
Serves 2-4

Curry leaves are an important part of this recipe, and it is not the same as curry spice blend. You can purchase dried curry leaves online. Even better, you can grow your own! Or, you can replace with a bay leaf, though it really isn’t the same. After cooking, remove the bay or curry leaves, especially if your curry leaves are dried. It is too sharp to be eaten.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
15 curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 small shallot
3/4 cup carrot
3/4 cup cabbage
1/2 cup green beans
1/2 teaspoon pink salt

Coconut Mixture
1/4 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger, minced
5 curry leaves
1 pinch turmeric

Instructions
Prepare the shallot and vegetables by chopping each into small pieces.

Melt the coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Swirl the pan to mix, and let the mustard seeds begin to pop. Add the turmeric, swirl again, then add the shallot and vegetables. Stir to cover the vegetables in oil and spices. Cover and cook 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, put all the ingredients of the Coconut Mixture in a small blender or cuisinart. Pulse to chop, and mix. You don’t want to make this into a paste, just break it all down to finer bits. Stir this in with the vegetables. Cover and cook another two minutes.

Serve with creamy veg curry and dal.