What is Thoran?
Thoran is a South Indian side dish that means “stir-fry.” It’s a common method when preparing vegetables in Keralite cuisine (Kerala is a coastal state in India, where coconut is prominent). Thoran is typically made by cooking a chopped vegetable with onions (or shallots), mustard seeds, grated coconut, spices, and curry leaves. What I love most about thoran is that the cooking method and the ingredients used merely highlight the vegetable; they don’t overpower it. The vegetable still resembles itself and maintains some of its texture. I’m sharing two methods of making this cabbage side dish, on the stovetop or in an instant pot. Either way, you’ll have a cabbage side dish with a slight bite to it.
Do I need to use curry leaves?
Curry leaves add a very distinct flavor (one that absolutely cannot be replaced with curry powder – they’re completely unrelated) to the dish. Please don’t skip curry leaves when making thoran. If you can’t find fresh curry leaves at your local Indian grocery store, you can order them from amazon (though they’ll be much cheaper at your local store – around $1-2 per pack). When I buy fresh curry leaves, I’ll typically buy a lot and store extra leaves in my freezer in a plastic ziplock bag. Before dating Roby, I had never tried Keralite cuisine. Growing up, I primarily ate North Indian Food at home, and while we’d eat some South Indian food – it was usually in the form of dosa, idli, sambar. Keralite restaurants aren’t typical, so the only way to eat authentic Keralite Food is to make it yourself. The good news is that it’s simple to make if you have the right ingredients. This cuisine is perfect for those with dairy allergies or special dietary requirements (gluten-free, paleo). That’s because Kerala is a coconut-rich region, and therefore, many recipes are made with coconut. You can find grated coconut in the frozen section of any Indian grocery store. This vegetarian side dish goes well with any meal. Here are a few of my favorite Keralite main dish recipes. Make one of the recipes below along with this cabbage thoran and serve it with a side of rice (Matta Rice is great if you can find it), and you’ll have an authentic Keralite meal.
Serve thoran as a side to one of these main dishes:
Here are some more thoran recipes a try:
“Oh my goodness. I could not believe how good this was…its just cabbage after all. I’ve used so many of your recipes and they are always great but this one really surprised me. Ok. I figured its time to sign up. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your work is VERY much appreciated.” Like this recipe? Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board now so you will remember to make it later!
