Carrot Poriyal Recipe | South Indian Carrot Stir-Fry with Coconut

Carrot poriyal is a simple, nutritious and delicious South Indian side dish that pairs perfectly with rice and sambar. Made with freshly grated carrots, aromatic spices and grated coconut, this colourful dish is a regular favourite in many Indian households.

For this version, I added a little fresh fenugreek (methi) leaves to the usual carrot poriyal, giving it an extra burst of flavour. The combination of crunchy carrots, fragrant spices and coconut was sooo yummy!

If you are looking for an easy vegetable side dish for your everyday lunch, do give this carrot poriyal recipe a try.

Ingredients

For tempering

• ½ tsp mustard seeds (rai)

• 3–4 tsp oil

• ½ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

• ¼ tsp coriander seeds (dhaniya)

• ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds (methi/venthayam)

• 2–3 green chillies, broken into pieces

• 2–3 tsp finely chopped onion

• 4 tsp finely chopped fresh fenugreek leaves

Other ingredients

• 2 cups finely grated carrots

• 4 tsp grated coconut

• ½ tsp salt, or to taste

• A little water, as required

How to Make Carrot Poriyal

1. Prepare the tempering: Heat oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Add cumin seeds, coriander seeds and fenugreek seeds.

2. Add the aromatics: Add the broken green chillies, chopped onion and fresh fenugreek leaves. Sauté briefly until fragrant.

3. Cook the carrots: Add the grated carrots and salt. Mix everything well.

4. Cover and cook: Cover the kadai and cook over a low to medium flame. Sprinkle a little water occasionally to prevent the carrots from sticking.

5. Add coconut: Once the carrots are nearly cooked and tender, add the grated coconut and mix well.

6. Serve hot: Switch off the flame and serve your delicious carrot poriyal with steamed rice, sambar, rasam or curd rice.

Tip: Avoid adding too much water, as carrot poriyal tastes best when the carrots remain tender without becoming mushy.

Enjoy this simple, flavourful South Indian side dish with your everyday meal!