Avial(aviyal) has a special place in the traditional vegetarian platter of both Kerala and Tamilnadu cuisines. It is served as a side dish for Rice. You can find this dish served as an accompaniment for rice on marriage occasions,on vegetarian meals in hotels, on festivals like Pongal, Onam…
Avial is prepared in different ways in different parts of Tamilnadu and kerala. Onam sadya is incomplete without an avial. Kerala is always famous for its traditional avial. In the upcoming days, I will make a post on other avial recipe.I got this aviyal recipe from aunty.
Avial is prepared with a mixture of vegetables. Coconut and Coconut oil plays a prominent role in the taste and smell of the avial. They make the dish tastier. You can use any vegetables of your choice and availability. When you have a variety of veggies but in a small quantity,aviyal is a better choice of dish to cook. aviyal has a sour taste in it. For sourness, they add curd or raw mango or tamarind. In this recipe, I have used tamarind extract for sourness. This aviyal is a dry one and tastes so delicious.
I made this avial along with Rice, Moru thalichathu(Kachiya moru) and potato chips
I have already posted a recipe of avial using curd.
Now let’s see how to make this avial.
Preparation Time: 30 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS REQUIRED
Coconut oil – 3 tbsp
Tamarind – lemon size
Vegetables I used
Raw banana – 2 nos
Carrot – 2 nos
Ridge gourd – a small piece
Bottle gourd – a medium piece
Snake gourd – 1 (small one)
Capsicum – 1
Brinjal – 5 (small ones)
Beans – 10 nos
Yellow cucumber – a small piece
Cucumber – 1
Yam – a medium piece
Drum stick – 1 no
For mixing with Vegetables
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Coconut oil – 1 tbsp
Green chillies – 3 nos
For Crushing
Grated Coconut – 2 Cups
Shallots/Small onions – 3 nos
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 2 sprigs
METHOD
1.Soak Tamarind in 1/2 cup of water. Extract the juice from it and keep them ready.
2. Take the veggies. You can use vegetables of your choice. I used the veggies I had at home. Wash the veggies. Peel the skin of raw banana, yam, yellow cucumber(vellarikai), bottle gourd, ridge gourd, cucumber, snake gourd and carrot. Then cut them into finger length pieces. Cut the other veggies too into the same size. But them in a bowl of water. Then drain the water. Add Turmeric powder, Red chilli powder, salt, 1tbsp of coconut oil, cut the chillies into half and add them into veggies and mix well with the hands. Transfer the vegetables to the pan in which you are going to cook.
3. Cover and cook on medium heat. Stir them occasionally. The vegetables will leave the water. When the vegetable is half cooked, Add the tamarind extract as required for taste and mix well. Cover and cook again until the veggies are fully cooked.
4. Meanwhile, Take grated coconut. You can crush the grated coconut, Cumin seeds and shallots separately in a mortar and pestle or you can crush them together in a blender too. But the former one tastes better than the latter. Add the crushed ingredients to a bowl. To it add curry leaves. Squeeze the ingredients and mix well with the hands. Add them to the pan. Cover and cook for 5 minutes in low flame. Then mix them well, cover and cook for another 5 mins. Finally, add 3 tbsp of coconut oil to it. Mix well and switch off the flame.
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