Avial – Kerala’s most special recipe
Avial is a delicious Kerala dish prepared with mixed vegetable, coconut and curd. Coconut oil and curry leaves are used as seasoning agents.
It has its oirigin in Kerala, but gained an equal fame in other south Indian states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. It is an important recipe in Kerala cuisines. Avial is also the major recipe in Kerala traditional Onam Sadya. One cannot imagine a wedding or festival menu in Kerala that does not include avial.
The key to making an excellent and delicious avial is to give an equal attention towards the visual appeal as well as to the crunchy consistency of the vegetables used. The unique quality of avial is with the use of various vegetables such as carrot, beans, pumpkin etc that has contrasting colours and are sliced evenly into 1 inch long and thin pieces to have rare aroma and delicious taste.
Ingredients for avial
- Cucumber – 1 cup
- Ash gourd -3/4 cup
- Beans -6-7
- Drumstick -1
- Potato -1
- Carrot -1
- Curd -2 tbsp
- Raw Mango – few pieces (5-6 medium size pieces)
- Raw plantain -1
- Elephant foot yam -100 grams
- Coconut oil – 2-3 tsp
- Curry leaves – few
For grinding
- Grated coconut – 1 cup
- Cumin seeds /Jeera – 1/2 tsp
- 3 or 4 Green chilli
Method of Preparation
- Peel off the skin and chop all the vegetables into 1.5 inch long pieces
- Grind the grated coconut, cumin and green chillies and keep it aside.
- Cook the drumsticks with 1/4 cup of water on a medium flame until they are half done. While cooking cover the pan with the pan lid.
- Add the rest of the vegetables, turmeric powder, raw mangoes and required salt into the pan. Water if required. Cook on a slow flame till the vegetables become tender. (It takes an average of 12 to 15 minutes)
- Add the coconut paste and 1/4 cup of water. Mix them well and cook for few minutes till it becomes semi dry.
- Add curd and mix well. Check for salt. Season with coconut oil and curry leaves. Simmer the for 2 to 3 minutes and serve hot.
