Carrot Poriyal (Carrot Fry)

Carrot Poriyal is a simple South Indian side dish made with carrots, spices and curry leaves. Carrot is a universal veggie used in most cuisines and in South India too it is used to make stir fry, curry, sambar and even chutney. Poriyal is a Tamil term for a sautéed or stir fried dish. So this Carrot Poriyal is a Tamil Nadu style Carrot Stir Fry that can be made with & without coconut.

I make vegetable stir fry often for the kids’ school box to go with lemon rice, coconut rice, pudina rice or any flavoured rice dishes. My kids’ do not prefer gravy sides for the lunch box so this carrot poriyal comes to my rescue very often.

This also goes well as a side with Chapati, Dal Fry, Rasam or Sambar & rice. I would say just serve it as a side in any meal. It tastes delicious, is healthy and super easy to make.

In Indian cuisine these stir fry veggies are made in most regions and they are spiced and flavoured differently. Most commonly fresh grated coconut is used in Tamil Nadu poriyal.

However if you do not have it, you may substitute with other spice powders which I have mentioned in the substitutions section below.

My kids love variations so I often make this carrot poriyal with different ingredients which I have also shared below.

Substitutions

Substitute fresh coconut with frozen dried coconut, idli podi, peanut podi or sesame podi. If you have none, then you may simply dry roast the following ingredients, cool them and powder. Use that to spice your carrot poriyal.

On a medium flame dry roast 2 red chilies, 1 tbsp chana dal and 1 tablespoon urad dal until golden. Then add 1 tbsp sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon dried coconut and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds. Roast for 1 minute.

Cool all of these and make a fine powder with 1 clove of garlic. Use 1 tablespoon or as needed to spice your carrot poriyal just before you turn off the stove.

Variations

Here are some variations you may want to try.

Add ¾ cup of green peas. A mix of fine chopped veggies like beetroot, beans and peas also go well to make this dish.

Sometimes I soak about ¼ cup of moong dal (skinned & split yellow beans) for 2 hours in warm water. Drain the water and add it to the pan along with carrots. Cover and cook until tender. If required sprinkle water to provide moisture so the lentils cook well. Moong dal should be fully cooked yet not become mushy.

For a change I also use 100 grams of fine chopped spinach or palak in this recipe.

Pro Tips

I have chopped the carrots to make this poriyal. However you may also grate it using a thick grater. Avoid using a thin grater as the whole dish becomes mushy. You can also use a food processor.

You may completely skip the lentils in the tempering as aged people and young kids may not like the crunchy dal.

More recipes you may like
Carrot Curry
Carrot Rice
Easy Carrot Pickle
Beans Poriyal

How to make Carrot Poriyal (Stepwise Photos)

1. Rinse 250 grams carrots well under running water. Peel them and chop them to bite sized pieces. You can also use a onion or vegetable chopper to dice the carrots.

2. Pour 1½ tablespoon oil to a pan and heat it. Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon mustard seeds to the hot oil. Followed by 1 tablespoon chana dal, ½ to ¾ tablespoon urad dal and 1 dried red chili (broken). Fry them on a medium heat.

3. When they turn golden, add 1 sprig curry leaves, 1 teaspoon fine chopped ginger or 1 garlic clove (optional) and 1 to 2 chopped green chilies. Leave out green chilies and ginger for kids.

4. Soon the curry leaves will turn crisp then add a pinch of hing (optional), chopped carrots, ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon turmeric. Adding salt at this stage is important as it lets the carrot sweat and cook in their own moisture.

5. Stir fry for 2 minutes.

6. Cover and cook on a low heat until carrots become tender. In between keep stirring so they don’t burn. If the carrots are too dry then you may sprinkle some water. Continue to cook covered. If using grated carrots, do not cover and cook. Instead stir fry on a low to medium heat as required until tender.

7. When the carrots are fork tender and not mushy add ¼ cup grated coconut and mix well. If you do not have coconut, use the spice powder I mentioned in the intro or sprinkle idli podi or peanut podi. Taste test and add more salt if needed.

8. Stir fry for a minute and turn off. If using frozen coconut, stir fry until it becomes hot.

Serve Carrot Poriyal with rice, chapati or Rasam-rice or Sambar-rice.

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