Aviyal

There has been lot of requests from my friends for this recipe and has been in my list of recipes to post, for a long long time.Finally I got the chance to post this Aviyal recipe. I just love this dish because of its simplicity(except for the unlimited number of veggies to cut) and that particular taste of all veggies mixed together with coconut.I really love love love this. And of course it is very very healthy.You can go on eating this without any guilt.

I always used to admire the uniformity in which all the vegetables are cut for this recipe during any sadhya. All veggies will be almost of the same length , breadth and width (all other dimensions) and yet all cooked so perfect.

Ingredients:

Drumstick - 1 (cut into 1 inch pieces)

Raw Banana - 1 (cut into 1 inch pieces)

White Pumpkin (cut into 1 inch pieces) - 1 cup

Cluster Beans (Kothavaraikkai) (cut into 1 inch pieces) - 1 cup

Yam (cut into 1 inch pieces) - 1 cup (optional)

Carrot - 2 (cut into 1 inch pieces)

Raw Mango - 1/2 (cut into 1 inch pieces) (optional)

Green chillies - 2 (slit lengthwise)

curd - 1/4 cup

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 teaspoon ( optional)

coconut oil - 1 tablespoon

salt - as per taste

curry leaves - 2 sprigs

To Grind:

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

Preparation:

• Cook all vegetables with water , salt and turmeric powder(if using).
• Cook the vegetables as per their cooking time. Add the carrot, cluster beans and drumsticks first.LEt them cook till they are half done.Add other vegetables at this stage. Let all the vegetables get just cooked enough.They should not get mushy.
• If the veggies are cooked and lot of water is remaining, just remove the extra water. You can use up that water by adding to dal / sambhar etc. Just make sure that there is no extra water in the veggies.
• Grind the coconut and cumin seeds and green chillies together.Do not add more water.It should be a dry coarse paste.
• Add this coconut mixture into the vegetables and stir well.
• Once coconut is cooked, add the beaten curd and mix it couple of times.
• Then add coconut oil and curry leaves and mix well.
• Put off the flame.

Note:

• I did not add turmeric powder as I wanted white color aviyal. You can add if you wish to.
• I did not add yam and raw mangos in the aviyal that I made.