Our next poriyal is dedicated to the unproblematic, sweet nature of carrots. Yes, we are talking about a carrot poriyal recipe, the ultimate South Indian comfort side dish to go with literally any main course.

Carrots are the most unproblematic, universal, and widely accepted vegetables I know of. They are popular with both kids and adults and can be found in grocery stores year round. This sweet orange crunchy root can be used to make desserts, salads, curries, stews, and even rice dishes. No surprise, this carrot poriyal recipe makes a quick, easy, and delicious South Indian curry dish!

Let us have a look at the ingredients to see what we need for this poriyal.

Ingredients for Carrot Poriyal Recipe

8 oz carrots (chopped or thickly grated)

2 tbsp oil or ghee

½ tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp chana dal

2 dried red chilies broken into halves

½ tsp urad dal

A pinch of asafoetida (skip for gluten-free)

A sprig of curry leaves

1-2 chopped green chilies

1 tsp chopped garlic or ginger

A pinch of turmeric

salt to taste

4 tbsp of fresh grated coconut.

Cooking Instructions for Carrot Poriyal Recipe

Follow this step by step recipe to make carrot poriyal.

Once you have gotten hold of all the ingredients from your kitchen for this recipe. Start by washing and peeling the carrots. Chop off their ends and then chop them into 1 cm / 1/2 inch pieces or grate them thickly.

Do not use thinly grated carrots because you are making poriyal and not gajar ka halwa, so you don’t want it to get mushy.

For the reverse tempering, heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and let them splutter.

Then add urad dal, chana dal and dried red chilies to the oil and wait until the dals turn a nice golden brown color.

Now add garlic/ginger, green chilies and curry leaves and sauté them until the leaves turn crisp.

Now add asafoetida and the carrots. Skip the asafoetida if you want the recipe to be gluten free.

Sprinkle them with turmeric and salt and sauté for a minute or two.

Then cover and cook for a few minutes on low flame to release moisture and make the carrots tender.

Skip the last part if you are using grated carrots and just stir-fry them.

When the carrots are soft, add freshly grated coconut.

Give it all a good mix and sauté for a few minutes.

Your carrot poriyal is ready.

Serving Carrot Poriyal

Pour your carrot poriyal into a serving bowl and serve it with sambar rice, basmati rice, or simple chapati or roti. Carrot Poriyal also goes well with other poriyals like cauliflower poriyal, green beans poriyal and bitter gourd poriyal, as well as, chutneys like coconut chutney and tomato chutney. It can be used as a side dish with almost any dish. Enjoy your meal and share it with love.