Avial

It is a colourful south indian dish with belnded aroma of vegetables, coconut oil and curry leaves. It can be savoured with rice or adai (Click here for Adai recipe).

Ingredients: (serves 3-4)

White pumpkin : 150-200g

Mixed chopped vegetables : 300-350g

[Main vegetables - Kottaranga(cluster beans), drumstick, brinjals, Sena Kazhangu (Yam/Suran)

Other vegetables you can mix : carrot, potato, raw banana, avarakkai (broad/flat beans), Beans]

Coconut freshly grated : 1.25 cup

Green chillies : 6-7 (you can adjust as per your taste/hotness)

Fresh thick butter milk (no sourness) : 250ml

Salt : 1.5tsp (or) as per taste

Coconut oil : 4-6 tbsp

Curry leaves - 4-5 strands

Method:

1. Boil 200 ml (approximately) water, add salt to it, 3-4 slit green chillies, curry leaves (2 strands). Then add all the chopped vegetables.

Please note that the vegetables should be chopped into little big pieces (the veg pieces should be distinctly seen in the dish). Also if they are not big enough, then they get mashed which spoils the look and flavour of the dish. 

 Also note that the water level should be half the level of all vegetables. Here altogether we have taken around 450-550g of vegetables. Hence we have taken approximately 200ml of water in this step. 

Make sure you add the vegetables which take more time to get cooked at the bottom and the ones which get easily cooked at the top. Take care of this stacking.

After adding all the vegetables close the vessel with a lid and allow it to boil for 5 min on medium flame.

2. After 5 min open the lid, add 2 tbsp coconut oil and mix well the vegetables i.e. with a flat ladle bring the vegetables at the bottom to top, so the mixing should be down-to-up:down-to-up. You have to do it carefully so that you dont mash the vegetables. Again close the vessel with the lid. Check the vegetables every 3-4 min and repeat this step #2  till vegetables are cooked.

3. Grind the freshly grated coconut and remaining green chillies with 1/2 tsp rice flour and once the vegetables are cooked add it to the boiling mixture. Add 2 tbsp coconut oil and mix well (down-to-up). Wait for 3-4 min but stir it often(down-to-up). Then switch off the flame.

4. Heat 1-2 tsp coconut oil,  add remaining curry leaves for tadka and switch off flame. Add it to the avial. Close it with a lid and allow it to rest for some 5-10 minutes..

5. Then take the thick butter milk (you can take freshly set curd and whip it into buttermilk without adding water) and add to the avial and mix well (down-to-up).
6. Add little more coconut oil to the avial  as per your taste and liking.

Note: If u feel water is excess at the end of step2...remove some water before performing step3..You can use this water later for making soup. :)