Today I am posting the recipe of avial – a traditional Kerala dish. It is also prepared in Tamilnadu. According to mythology, avial was invented by Bhima (the second of Pandavas in Mahabharata). The pandavas went to forest for 12 years and in the 13th year they were in disguise in the kingdom of Virata. During this time Bhima was disguised as a cook. He knew nothing about cooking. So he chopped up different vegetables, boiled them in water and added grated coconut. And the dish came out very well. The King liked the dish. Thus a tasty Avial was born.
Ingredients: |
|
| Raw Banana | – 1 |
| Drumstick | – 2 |
| Potato | – 1 big |
| Carrot | – 1 medium |
| Elephant Yam/ Chenai Kizhangu | – 1 cup |
| Sour Raw Mango | – 1 cup |
| Beans | – 6 |
| Long Beans / Karamani | – 6 |
| Snake Gourd / Pudalangai | – 1 cup |
| Turmeric Powder | – 1 tsp. |
| Salt | – as needed or 2 tsp. |
| Sour thick Curd | – 1 cup |
| Coconut oil | – 3 tbsp. |
For Grinding: |
|
| Grated Coconut | – 1½ cups |
| Green Chillies | – 8 to 10 |
| Cumin Seeds | – 1 tsp. |
| Raw Rice | – 1 ½ tbsp. (soaked in water) |
Method:
- Cut beans and long beans lengthwise into 1 ½ inch long pieces. Peel and cut other vegetables into 1 ½ inch long pieces.
- Grind all the ingredients given to fine paste by adding little water.
- Pressure cook all the vegetables in enough water till 2 whistles.
- Now add the ground masala, turmeric powder and sour curd and mix well.
- Cook this for 5 minutes in low flame or till it becomes thick.
- Pour coconut oil on top.
- Your tasty avail is ready to serve.
Note:
- Some people use tamarind instead of curd to prepare this avial.
- If the curd you use is not sour enough, you can add some tamarind juice or amchur powder (Dry mango powder) to the avial.