It is a thick mixture of vegetables and coconut, seasoned with coconut oil and curry leaves. Aviyal is considered an essential part of the Sadya, the Keralite vegetarian feast. Vegetables commonly used in avyial are elephant yam, plantain, pumpkin, carrots, beans, Brinjal,cucumber, drum sticks, snake gourd and avarai. Carrots, beans etc. are recent introduction, while in north Kerala, Avial includes bitter gourd also.
Some people prefer to skip curd or substitute it with raw mango or tamarind pulp. This dish can be made into a gravy or be made into a semi-solid side dish. It is generally eaten with rice and is one of the main ingredient in Kerala sadya.
Ash Gourd - 100 grams
Raw Banana - 1/2
Yam - 100 grams
Carrot - 1 medium
Drumstick - 1 no:
French Beans - 5 no:s
Raw Mango pieces - few pieces ( approximately 4 medium sized pieces)
Red chilly powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Curd - 2 table spoon
Salt - to taste
For grinding
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Green Chilies - 4 no:s (adjust according to taste)
For seasoning
Coconut oil - 2 table spoon
Curry leaves - few
Method
1. Wash, peel and cut the all the vegetables lengthwise of about 2 inch size.
2. Cook the yam and the plantain with enough salt in pressure cooker till done but do not over cook.The vegetables should be soft, yet firm.
3. Cook Ash gourd in a kadai with water and when it is half done add carrots, drumsticks and beans and cook with turmeric powder, salt and red chilly powder with enough water.
4. When the vegetables are almost done, add the raw mango pieces and cook till done. The vegetables should not get mushy. If the vegetables are cooked and yet some water is left, cook uncovered till all the water is dried up.
5. Meanwhile grind the grated coconut, cumin seed and green chilies with very less water.
6. Add the ground coconut paste along with the pressure cooked vegetables and cook for few minutes.
7. Remove from flame and mix well, But be careful not to mash the vegetables.
8. Check for salt and season with coconut oil and curry leaves and keep the kadai covered for 5 minutes.
Serve warrm. Aviyal makes a fantastic side dish with rice and roti as well.
Notes.
1. You can skip curd, if you are adding raw mangoes or add according to the sourness you want.
2. Any vegetables can be added to make aviyal, just beb sure about the cooking time.