Aviyal
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement
The recipe for Avial changes from kitchen-to-kitchen and is influenced by the vegetables used to flavour it. It comes with a curd-based sauce. By replacing curd with a plant-based yogurt, this wholesome dish can be enjoyed by vegans as well. While it is a quintessential part of Kerala cuisine, a version of this dish is also popular in Tamil Nadu and is paired with rice or adai, a lentil-based dosa.
Avial
Ingredients
2.5 cups mixed vegetables chopped. This recipe uses potato, yam, carrot, beans, ash gourd, cucumber, raw mango, drumstick, raw banana. Snake gourd is also used.
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Thick curd 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Coconut 1/2 cup
Cumin/jeera 1/2 tsp
Green chilli 1. More can be added if you want to spice it up.
Coconut oil – 1/2 tsp
A sprig of curry leaves
Preparation
Boil water in a vessel and add the chopped vegetables along with salt and turmeric powder.
First add the vegetables that takes longer to cook, such as drumstick, beans, carrot, yam and potato. When it is half cooked, add the other vegetables. Ensure that the vegetables are crunchy and not mushy. Drain the water and keep the vegetables aside.
In a blender, add the coconut, green chili and jeera. Grind it with little water to a coarse paste.
In a kadai, add the cooked vegetables along with the coarse paste. Sprinkle little water and cook till the raw smell of coconut leaves. Saute for for 3-5 minutes. Add the required salt, give a quick stir and switch off.
Meanwhile, heat coconut oil and add curry leaves. Allow it splutter. Then add this seasoning and curd to the aviyal and mix well.
You can add raw curry leaves and coconut oil as such too. Mix well. Serve with steamed rice or as a side dish for any kind of rice.
Recipe by Executive Chef Jesu S. Lambert, Hotel Savera, Chennai
