Awesome Aviyal Recipe: The Best you will ever Taste

Learn the secret grandma tip for the amazing aroma and flavor of authentic Kerala Aviyal/ Avial. Imagine hot steaming rice, bright yellow Aviyal with colorful bits of carrot and green drumsticks, some red mango pickle, achinga payar mezhukkupuratti and a piece of fried fish. Aren't you drooling already? :-)

You can add any vegetable to Aviyal. I use only the vegetables that I have specified in the recipe as I hate a lot of clutter in my Aviyal. Ginger or garlic will spoil the flavor of Aviyal, so never add those. The standard Kerala signature of mustard seeds is also missing from Aviyal. This is a very healthy and tasty dish. Any Kerala feast, including Onam is incomplete without the all famous Aviyal.

Ingredients:

1.       Potatoes - 2 cups

2.       Carrot - 1 cup

3.       Raw banana - 1cup

4.       Raw mango - 1/2 cup [optional]

5.       Cucumber - 1 cup

6.       Snake gourd - 1 cup, 

7.       Drumsticks - 2

8.       Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.

9.       Salt - to taste

Cup measurements are for chopped vegetables. Cut all vegetables into even sized bits - half inch thick, 1 and 1/2 inch long pieces. Mix all vegetables together with salt and turmeric adding just ¼ cup of water. Cover and cook on low fire.

10.   Grated Coconut - 1 cup

11.   Shallots - 5

12.   Green chillies - 3

13.   Curry leaves - 1 sprig

14.   Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.

15.   Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp.

Grind together 10-15 ingredients coarsely. Add this mixture to the cooked vegetables. Stir carefully without mashing the vegetables. Cover and cook for five minutes.

16.   Curd - 3 tbsp

17.   Coconut oil - 2 tbsp

18.   Shallots - 3

19.   Curry leaves - 4 leaves

Add beaten curd and mix carefully. Cook for a minute on low fire. Check salt. Remove from fire.
Mix crushed curry leaves and shallots in fresh coconut oil. Pour the coconut oil mixture over the Aviyal for the authentic Kerala flavor and aroma. Stir lightly. Remove to serving dish.
Serve hot with rice.

Tips:

• The mixture of fresh coconut oil, crushed curry leaves and shallots add a unique flavour to the Aviyal. Do not heat the dish after adding the coconut oil mix.
• Ratio of vegetables can be changed as you please. Add any vegetable you like in whatever quantity.
• A certain amount of sourness is required for the dish. The raw mango and curd provide this. Adjust these ingredients to adjust the sourness.