Kerala Style - Avial

Today after a long time, I prepared Avial which is a typical Kerala side dish. Avial is a mixture of vegetables with grated coconut and curd. Well, some people add curd, some add raw mango for the tangy taste. 

We mainly use vegetables like cucumber, raw banana, yam, bottle gourd, brinjal, carrots, long beans, drumsticks in this dish. We do not use ladies finger or tomatoes in this dish. Try to use drumsticks everytime possible. They impart a great flavor to the dish. Also another important point to note is that Avial do not have any gravy.It is a dry dish. Also we do not do tempering(Tadka) for Avial. Another point to note is that the vegetables are all fully cooked but not overcooked or mashed. Avial is one of the most important side dishes in a typical Kerala Sadhya (Feast). 

In Kerala, my mom and aunts prepare Avial almost daily in their household as its very healthy. Where as poor me in US finds it difficult to find most of the vegetables required for preparing Avial in the grocery shops !!    

Ingredients: 

2 cup vegetables - (Combination of Raw Banana, Cucumber, Yam, Bottle Gourd, Brinjal, Carrots, Long Beans, Drumstick)

1 cup grated coconut

2 teaspoon curd

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 green chilly

1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 - 4 Curry Leaves.

1 teaspoon Coconut Oil

Salt
Water

Prepping: ( 10 min )

Step 1: Cut all the vegetables long. All of them should be of the same length.

Step 2: Grind coconut, green chilly, cumin seeds, a pinch of turmeric and salt with a little water and keep aside.

Method of Preparing: ( 15 min)  

Step 1: 

Boil all the vegetables in a pan adding salt, turmeric and water.

Note: You can add the vegetables that cooks easily after some time of adding the ones that cook slowly. Add little water only. Mostly I do the following combination. 

• Add turmeric and salt to the vegetables. Cover and cook for 5 min on a medium flame. 
• Now add raw banana and cook for another 3 min. 
• Add cucumber and cover and cook for another 5 - 8 min. 

Note: By the time the vegetables are almost cooked, the water should have almost evaporated. So add only little water for boiling. 

 

Step 2:

Once vegetables are almost cooked, add the ground coconut and curry leaves and mix well. Cover and cook for 5 min.

Step 3: 

Now add curd and mix well. Cover with lid and cook for 2 minutes and switch off.

Step 4:  

Pour 1 tbsp coconut oil over the vegetable mixture and we are done!!! Serve hot with rice.

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