Avial (Classic kerala vegetarian food)

While the summer heat might be out to get you it brings with it a range of beautiful vegetables. You’ve got potatoes, carrots, drumsticks, yard long beans, ash gourd, pumpkin and an endless list of garden fresh veggies. So you’ve got not one but many reasons to cook this pretty delicious summer.

An ideal dish for the season would be the Keralite favourite, Avial. Avial is a delicious mix of vegetables in a light, delicately spiced yoghurt gravy.

It’s roots can be traced back to Kerala, India. It is a regular feature during festivities, weddings and all other kind of celebrations down South India. While the preparation might seem easy at sight, it is important to get the right balance of colour, texture and that pronounced coconut flavour.
This delectable dish uses potato, carrots, raw banana, drumstick, beans, yam,cucumber, ash gourd pumpkin and a small piece of raw mango. It’s served on a bed of Kerala rice that you’d want to dig into right away!

We’ve put together our popular Avial recipes, each with its unique combination of ingredients, preparation time and cooking techniques. This recipe is high on taste and nutritional value and we hope you enjoy them.

Avial

Preperation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Serves : 4
Ingredients
Assorted veggies –  cut lengthwise (1 inch long batons)

Potato- 1, Drumsticks-1, Raw Banana – 1nos, Yam- 1/2 cup.
Cluster Beans: 1/4 cup
Snake gourd : 1/4 cup
Carrot : 1 cup
Golden Cucumber : 1 cup
Raw mango-1/2 mango ( if using curd , don’t use raw mangoes)

Ash gourd pumpkin – 1cup
Water – 1 cup
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Pepper powder – ¼ tsp
Grated coconut – ½ cup
Green chilli – 2-3
Jeera – a pinch
Water – ½ – 1 tbsp
Yogurt – ¼ cup, beaten
Coconut oil – 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Curry leaves (2 sprigs)

Instructions
1) Grind together pepper powder, coconut, green chilli, jeera and water (1/2 – 1tbsp) into a thick paste.

2) Cook the veggies with turmeric powder, water (1 cup) and salt. ( use the least water you can use, as avial wont be runny)

3)When the veggies are ¾th cooked, add the ground paste. Mix well. Cover and cook till the veggies are done and the raw taste of coconut paste is gone.

4)Add yogurt and mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes more and just before removing from the stove, add the coconut oil and curry leaves. Serve hot with rice.

Notes:
Instead of curd we can use raw mango pieces or tamarind. Here we have used curd to retain the yellow colour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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