One of the healthiest vegetarian dishes, Avial is made with mixed vegetables cooked in a paste of ground coconut and flavoured with coconut oil. It is an imperative component of the traditional Kerala feast, called sadya. This is a thick and dry dish and is eaten with rice. One of the interesting stories behind the origin of the dish is that it was created by the character of Bhima from Hindu mythology, who, upon being forced to cook during his exile, chopped up whatever vegetables he could find and then cooked them together.
INGREDIENTS
FOR COCONUT MASALA PASTE:
- 1 cup coconut, fresh / desiccated
- 1 tsp cumin / jeera
- 4 green chili / hari mirch
- water as required, to blend smooth
VEGETABLES:
- ½ potato, cubed
- 2 cups water
- salt to taste
- ½ cup cucumber / southe, chopped
- 5 long beans / alsande, chopped
- 10 tindora, chopped
- 1 raw banana / raw plantain
- 1 carrot, chopped
- ½ cup elephant foot yam / suran
- 1 drumstick, chopped
- few pieces mango, optional
- few curry leaves
OTHER INGREDIENTS:
- ½ tsp turmeric powder / haldi
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- ½ cup curd/ sour
FOR TEMPERING:
- 2 tsp coconut oil / any oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds / rai
- ½ tsp urad dal
- 2 dried red chilis
- few curry leaves
- pinch asafoetida / hing
INSTRUCTIONS
- firstly, in a small blender take, coconut, jeera and green chili.
- also add water and blend to smooth paste. keep aside.
- in a large kadai cook potatoes with salt and water.
- further add mixed vegetables of your choice.
- add curry leaves, turmeric and mix well.
- cover and cook the veggies for 7 minutes or till they are cooked well.
- add prepared coconut masala and boil for 5 minutes.
- turn off the flame and add half cup of sour curd.
- meanwhile, prepare tempering by heating oil.
- add mustard seeds, urad dal, dried red chilis, curry leaves and asafoetida. allow to splutter.
- further, pour the tempering onto the avial and mix well.
- finally, serve, avial / aviyal along with plain rice
