Avial - A Kerala speciality

Avial is a Kerala speciality that uses plenty of vegetables and renders them all more edible than they would normally be. As with all other Kerala foods, this one too has plenty of coconut and coconut oil. Please don't try and replace the coconut oil with sunflower oil because you just won't get the same taste.

Ingredients:
(Serves 4)
Yellow Pumpkin - 100 gms
White pumpkin - 100 gms
Brinjal (Eggplant) - 4 nos.
Raw Banana - 2 nos.
Beans - 100 gms
Carrots (big) - 2 nos.
Potatoes (big) - 2 nos.
Broad Beans (Avaraikkai) - 100 gms
Cucumber (big) - 2 nos.
Elephant Yam - 100 gms

Note: You can use any vegetable that does not have a distinctive texture. Bottle gourd, courgette and similar vegetables would also be a good choice. If one of these vegetables is not available, you can go ahead and make avial with the remaining.

Grated Coconut - 2 cups
Green Chillies - 5 nos.
Cumin seeds - 2 tbsps
Sour curds (yoghurt) -1 cup
Curry leaves
Coconut Oil - 3 tbsps
Salt to taste

Preparation time: 45 mins

Method:

1. Chop all the vegetables to a uniform (and fairly large) size. In a large casserole, add enough water to immerse the vegetables, salt to taste and boil until the vegetables are well-cooked. Take care to check that there is not too much excess water in the vessel. The mixture must resemble a thick vegetable stew.
2. Grind the coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds together to a fine paste.
3. Once the vegetables come to a boil, add the paste, boil for 2 minutes and remove from fire.
4. In a frying pan, heat the coconut oil and add the curry leaves.
5. Once the leaves wilt, remove from fire and add to the vegetables.
6. Transfer into a serving bowl. Once the mixture is sufficiently cool, add the curd and mix well.
7. Avial can be served with many varieties of mixed rice, with Pudhina Chutney mixed with rice or with Bisi Bele Huli Anna (see earlier post).

Banana Stem More Koottu

Ok. So, after much debating between Paal Paayasam and Badam Halwa, I finally decided to break the tradition of starting with a sweet. My mother's delicious vaazhathandu more kootu is largely responsible for this change of heart. It is something that I have always found interesting, largely because my mother adds stuff that none of the others I know do. Anyway, here we go.

Ingredients

Banana Stem (Vaazhathandu) chopped into tiny cubes - 2 cups
Curd (unflavoured yoghurt) - 4 tbsps
Dried Red Chillies - 3 to 4 Nos.
Fenugreek (venthayam/methi) seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad Dal (white lentils) - 1 tbsp
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1 tbsp
Green Chillies - 2 nos.
Curry leaves - 5 to 6 leaves for seasoning
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Coconut Oil - 1 tsp
Sunflower oil (or other odourless cooking oil) - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Preparation time - 15 to 20 minutes

Method

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in a pan and roast the red chillies until they turn a darker shade of red. Remove from fire into a mixer grinder or food processor.
2. Add the urad dal and roast until golden brown. Remove into the food processor. Then, add the fenugreek seeds and roast. You can add some more cooking oil if you find it too dry. Remove that too into the food processor.
3. Grind the ingredients together and keep aside.
4. Add the grated coconut, cumin seeds and green chillies and grind to a fine paste. Keep aside.
   
5. In a saucepan, boil the chopped banana stem in 3 cups of water with salt to taste. Cook it until the stem is tender, but not soggy.
6. When the stem is cooked, add the grated coconut paste and red chilly powder and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.
7. Remove from fire and transfer to a serving bowl.
8. In a pan, heat 1 teaspoon of coconut oil and add mustard seeds. Leave it in the oil until it sputters. Remove from fire. Add the curry leaves and season the koottu.
9. Once the koottu cools, add the yoghurt and mix well.
10. This can be served with hot rice.