Thoran

Thoran (pronounced [t̪oːɾan]); or upperi in Northern Kerala is a class of dry vegetable dishes combined with coconut that originated in the Indian state of Kerala. This common dish is usually eaten with rice and curry and is also part of the traditional Keralite sadhya. In Tamil Nadu, a similar dish is known as Poriyal. Thoran is prepared using various vegetables such as cabbage, tender jackfruit (unripe jackfruit), carrot, beetroot, beans, spinach, green beans, ivy gourd, elephant foot yam, and raw banana, among others. It is generally named according to the vegetable used, such as cabbage thoran and tender jackfruit thoran.

Thoran is a dry dish traditionally made of finely chopped vegetables such as cabbage, yardlong bean and other bean varieties, unripe jackfruit, bittergourd (കയ്പ്പക്ക/പാവയ്‌ക്ക) or elephant foot yam, of leaves such as green or red spinach (ചീര), Moringa oleifera or Ipomoea aquatica, as well as of flowers such as Moringa oleifera or Sesbania grandiflora.

Thoran can be also made with carrots, green beans, cabbage, green tomatoes or spinach, vegetables that were traditionally not available in Kerala. The traditional recipes made in southern Kerala do not use garlic, but in the present day, garlic and onion are also added.