May 16, 2006

AVIAL

Avial is an important dish of the Kerala Cuisine. Avial is a semi dry preparation of all sorts of veggies.The veggies that can be used for this avial preparation is almost innumerable. They are the well-known beans,carrots,drumsticks,peas,yams,gourds,pumpkins and what-not? Other main ingredients to flavor and season this aviyal is the coconut paste,curry leaves and coconut oil which gives a very unique aroma to this dish. Avial is an essential part of the Onasadhya.A Sadhya is a big feast and could be associated with festivals like Onam, marriages ,birthdays and the like. Onasadhya is the most delicious part of the grand festival called Onam and it is prepared on the last day of Onam, called Thiruonam. Well enough about the history and now let's dig into the actual recipe and enjoy!!!I have learnt this recipe from one of my cookbooks(Classic Lunch Recipes by Mallika Badrinath) and I have made it many many times as it's my husband's and my favorite dish. I have adjusted the recipe according to the vegetables.So go ahead and try the vegetables from your own pantry and keep it simple...


Ingredients






Veggies

carrots - 2 cups
beans- 2 cups
peas - 2 cups
drumsticks-2 cups
whipped curds- 1/2 cup
curry leaves- 2 sprigs
coconut oil - 2 -3 tblsp


Paste

shredded coconut - 1 + 1/4 cup
g.chillies - 12
cumin seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
salt - 2 spoons


Method


  1. Pressure cook the vegetables with 2 cups of water just for 2 whistles.
  2. Gently mix the paste with the vegetables and let it boil on med flame.
  3. Once it boils add whipped curds and mix.While adding curds reduce flame completely.
  4. Now add curry leaves.
  5. Heat coconut oil separately till luke warm and pour over the avial.
  6. Now close the avial immediately to lock the flavor.Serve avial with a side of appalam and tasty mango pickle.Delicious Avial ready in absolutely NO time!!!

I would like to contribute this dish towards Anthony's Curry Mela this weekend.



12 comments:

Vineela said...

HiBDSN,
Avial looks great.Mom will do.i like it very much.
Vineela

Tanuja said...

Hi BDSN,

Avail looks yummy, thanks for the recipe I never tried avail at home I will do it now.

KA said...

Avial looks delicious BDSN, great picture!

KA said...

I have a question: What is appalam? Is it like appam?

Anonymous said...

I love avial and can eat it by the bowlful..without the rice or anything else with it!!

nice recipe!

KA, appalam is papad or pappadom made of udad dal or rice flour.

cheers!

Rajesh &Shankari said...

Avial with hot rice, ghee and pappadum is my all time comfort food

BDSN said...

Vineela:My mom does it too..but somehow i stuck to the recipe from the cookbook
Tanuja:Yes!!! Avial is one healthy and tasty dish which u gotta try...
Ashwini:Thanks a lot Ashwini...
KA: Sorry for the late response..Appalam is just the tamil word for papad.
KM:Thanks KM!!Avial is my all time fav too...
Saffron: Wow!! It's really interesting to know that u like to eat avial in a bowl just like icecreamm...HMmm!!That's nice...
Shankari:Wow!!!It's really nice to know that avial has so many fans just like ME!!!

BDSN said...

Hi LG,

Thanks for stoppin by.Actually you can call this the healthiest vegetables depending on how many veggies u can add...So i guess you r right!!!!

Menu Today said...

Hi BDSN,
Your Avial Looks delicious.

Vaishali said...

BDSN,
This is the second Avial recipe I found today while blog-hopping. The other one being Menu Today's. Yours looks different, though. I hope I get to try it out.

BDSN said...

Sailu:The reason i do this avial is for the health reason,and sometimes to get over with the veggies in the fridge...:)
MT:Thanks!!!!
Vaishali:Hope you get to try this avial..let me know how it turned out

BDSN said...

Thanks for trying out this recipe.I have never added gourd to my avial...will try next time...anyway thanks again..