A dish that is common to Tamil, Kerala and Udupi cuisine, it does have variations according to the cuisine. A mixture of vegetables enriched with ground coconut and seasoned with coconut oil, this dish is quite similar to the mixed veg kootu. Aviyal is a very essential part of Kerala vegetarian Sadaya.
Many think that it is a very tough dish to make, thinking of the different vegetables that you have to add to the dish, but in reality it is quite easy to make. Aviyal can be made in semi solid or super solid or liquid form. Every house hold has its own taste and vareity in making this aviyal. In marriages mostly it is made is super solid form so that it becomes a side dish. The semi solid or the liquid form can be mixed with rice or can be had with adai or pesarattu.
Raw Banana, Potato and Carrot, if added in a bit excess quantity than the other veggies definitely give an enhanced taste. My mom makes it in liquid form and mil makes it in semi solid form and I make it in both ways as and how the need arises. It is definitely a whole some side dish as it has all the vegetables and all the benefits of all the vegetables can be had at one shot.
Aviyal calls for a generous usage of coconut, but now a days, we all have become highly health consious, and so the quantity of the coconut could be reduced, but doing so will also reduce the authentic taste.
Come on friends, once in a while indulgence is not going to do any harm. Try out this lip smacking aviyal recipe and enjoy your day. It is better to avoid brinjals as many get some kind of irritation. And if you really want to enjoy your aviyal, avoid drumsticks too, though the authentic Tambrahm version calls for drumstick. Oh its a pain to get struck eating drumsticks when relishing the taste of aviyal and the other veggies.
Ingredients:
Potato - 1/2 kg
Carrot - 1/4 kg
Raw banana - 2 nos
White pumpkin - 1/4 kg
Yam (Chenai) - 1/4 kg
Beans - 200 gms
Cluster beans - 100 gms
Broad beans - 200 gmsAviyal before adding curd
Colocosia (seppankizhangu) - 1/4 kg
Coconut grated - 1 cup
Curry leaves - 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves - 1 bunch
Green Chillies - 8 nos (increase or decrease depending upon its spiciness)
Unsour curd - 1/2 litre
Salt - as per requirement
For Tempering:
Oil (cooking oil or coconut oil) - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 2 to 3 twigs
Method:
Chop all the vegetables except potato and colocasia to 1 inch length pieces. Grind coconut, green chillies, half bunch of coriander leaves and half of the curry leaves to a fine paste. Take the curd in a vessel and beat it well.
Pressure cook potato and colacasia, peel the skin and dice big pieces of them.
Boil all the vegetables along with the remaining curry leaves and when half cooked add the required salt for the vegetables and cook them in reduced flame. It is necessary to cover the vessel after you add the salt.
When all the vegetables are cooked add the ground paste and add water and bring it to a boil in medium flame. Keep stirring so that it doesnot settle at the bottom. Once the raw smell of the ground paste is gone, remove from flame and add the beaten curd.
The essence of the aviyal lies in tempering. Temper with just mustard seeds in cooking oil (Kerala aviyal calls for coconut oil for tempering). Place the curry leaves with its stick on top of the cooked aviyal and pour the tempering on the leaves which will give a better aroma and taste. Close the vessel immediatly after tempering.
Mix well before serving it. Serve it with rice or adai or pesarettu.
Note : It is always better to add curd just before serving to avoid aviyal becoming sour. I normally add it just before serving.
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Before adding curd
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