Avial (Mixed Vegetables in Coconut Gravy)

Today, the Keralites celebrate one of their biggest festivals of the year, Vishu! And I wish all of you a very Happy Vishu. May this year bring you good Health, Wealth and Prosperity. Yesterday evening I went to the supermarket and bought all possible substitutes for the things which you keep for the "Vishu Kanni". Honeydew Melon for Vellarika, Yellow grapefruits instead of jack fruit and so on...Well we managed to keep up our tradition in UK as well. :) Below are the pictures of our Vishu Kanni and the Sadya spread. Well didn't find a Plantain leaf though! :)

Avial is yet another simple but delightful dish served in a Sadya. This is one of my favourite vegetarian dish of Kerala. I call it the Indian "Thai Green curry" as the ingredients and the way of cooking are quite similar in both the dishes. My granny used to tell me a story behind the invention of Avial. It was Bheema (one of the Pandava brothers in Mahabharatha) who first cooked Avial. He along with his brothers were banished from their kingdom for thirteen years and they lived in disguise in the last year where Bheema disguised himself as a cook in the palaces of Virata. He didn't know a thing about cooking so he boiled all the vegetables he found in the royal kitchen and topped it with shredded coconut before serving. Well, I don't know how genuine is the story but is surely very interesting to hear, specially when you hear it from your grandparents. :)

Ingredients :

• 1 big carrot (washed, peeled, cut into thick julienne slices-1&1/2 inch)
• 1 potato (washed, peeled, cut into thick julienne slices-1 & 1/2 inch)
• 1 raw plantain (vazhakkai/kaaya....cut into thick julienne slices-1 & 1/2 inch)
• 10-12 beans (tips and strings removed, cut into thick julienne slices- 1 & 1/2 inch)
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
• 1 cup fresh yoghurt
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 green chillies
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 sprig of curry leaves

Method:

1. Cook all the vegetables in a saucepan with very little water. Add salt & turmeric powder to it. Cook until done.
2. While its cooking, grind together the coconut, cumin seeds and the green chillies to make a wet paste.
3. Add the coconut paste to the vegetables and cook for 10 more minutes or until the raw smell of the coconut goes.
4. The curry will start to thicken, only then you simmer the heat and pour in the yoghurt to it. Mix well and cook for exactly 2-3 minutes. If u cook longer, the curd will start to curdle. Switch off.
5. Tip Avial into your serving dish. Add the coconut oil and put the curry leaves to top it. Do not heat the gravy again.

PS:- Avial can be made thick or little watery. If you want it thick, then put less water while boiling the vegetables. I prefer my avial to be slightly runny, not too much.

- You can use any type of vegetables you like. I use the above veggies cos its easily available for me.