Aviyal - Delicacy from God's Own Country

அவியல்  - Aviyal - Goodness of vegetables - Can't get Easier and Tastier than this !

I have always wondered.. even today when i made it.. that how can a big bowl of mixed vegetables.. steam cooked half way with salt and turmeric powder, then continue cooking with coconut and green chilli paste in the mid way and finish it up with curd and tempering with coconut oil - can yield such a heavenly dish! 

i believe that any senior connoisseur would accept the following tips to make an awesome aviyal 

• use only the white part of coconut to make the coconut paste. if possible grate the coconut and use it. or if you make pieces, remove the back-black-matter from the coconut pieces. 
• cook the vegetables on stove top and not in pressure cooker.
• use the correct amount of water to cook the vegetables. stir in between to make the cooking more even.
• use the original coconut oil for tempering.
• use fresh curry leaves. never add them in hot oil in tempering. just drop the curry leaves in hot aviyal in the end and cover it.
• use thick curd and add it only after you turn off the heat.
• and teeny-weeny, yet my favourite tip is.. never miss the drumstick in the vegetables ! 😀

Aviyal is a dish close to my heart. during my childhood, I was a big fan of vegetarian dishes. so, i cannot think of another dish with more vegetables in it and easy on spices. you can have aviyal as side dish for roti or chapathi or adai or dosai or with some rice varieties. i can have it as a main dish too !

Ingredients:

• vegetables of you choice (carrot, green beans, drumstick, long beans, ash gourd, plantain, yam,cluster beans) - 500 grams
• coconut grating - 1 cup
• green chillies - 3
• mustard - 1 spoon
• turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• salt
• coconut oil
• curry leaves - 1 sprig
• curd - 3/4 cup

Procedure:

• clean and cut the vegetables to 1 inch long pieces.
• take it in a big vessel and add water little less than the half way through the vegetables..
• add salt and turmeric powder.
• keep it on stove till it cooks 50%.
• in the mean while make a smooth paste of coconut and green chillies and add to this cooking vegetables.
• cover it again and let it cook fully now.
• the vegetables should be fully cooked but still in shape.
• remove from heat and then add the curd. mix well.
• do the tempering with some coconut oil and mustard seeds and add to the aviyal.
• add the fresh curry leaves and 1 spoon of fresh coconut oil to the aviyal and stir once and cover it.
• do not disturb it till serving time.
• awesome.. aromatic.. aviyal is ready to be served.

Happy cooking !!