"Avial"

Avial, is my favorite dish. It is such a great way to use up left over veggies in your fridge and have a hearty healthy meal. In Chennai, where I am from, It is made during important festivals and occasions. I learn't to make this dish from my mom-in law, who makes it so well.

Here's a picture of the traditional banana leaf lunch at my mom-in law's. Avial is my favorite south indian and my preferred meal when I am looking for flavors of home and something wholesome and delicious. According to the Wikipedia the word Avial means assortment or mixture. Avial is a combination of cooked vegetables flavored with cumin, coconut and green chillies. It is a simple but exotic dish !

I wanted to show you a few pictures of my trip to India. Vegetable shopping in India is exhilarating with all the different colours and sounds. Here is a picture during the harvest festival of "Pongal", where fresh sugar cane and turmeric are available in plenty.

Vegetable shopping at Mylapore during Pongal

The lamp light for Pongal

This year I celebrated Pongal at mom-in-laws and we made sweet and savor pongal, avial, sambar and rice. As a part of the celebration we even light the traditional lamp with ghee ( clarified butter).  There is so much beauty in these simple things and staying here in the US now, I really appreciate the happiness that lies in doing simple stuff back home in India.

Lets get on with the recipe for Avial now:

Ingredients:

Vegetables - Raw banana, green beans, potatoes, peas, carrots, edamame, egg plants, cucumbers, drumstick, chayote ( a combination or all , the more the better).

Fresh coconut grated or frozen grated coconut - 1 to 1 1/2 cups depending on the amount of veggies

Chillies - Serrano/Jalapeño 1 or 2 acc to taste.

Coconut oil - to taste

Cumin - a spoonful

Yogurt - Greek or any non-flavored yogurt


Cut the vegetables into long thin slices of equal length. Take a pot filled with water and first add the vegetables that take longer to cook, green beans, carrots, edamame, drumstick, chayote as they take longer to cook. Add salt and close the pot and let it cook for approx 10 mins. Then add potatoes, raw banana, peas, egg plant and cucumbers. Cook for another 10 mins if its not yet done let it cook till its done.

In a food processor or blender, add grated coconut, cumin and sliced chillies, and blend till combined. Now add little water and blend again, till everything is a paste.

Once the veggies are done, strain the veggies and keep aside. In a mixing bowl, add the veggies, coconut paste, coconut oil and keep aside.

Just before serving, add the yoghurt.

Enjoy with roti or rice.