Avial - Reporting from Jeddah :)

Jeddah – Yeah! That’s where I am currently writing from. Me and my hubby are here on account of his office work. And I have limitations in my access to certain Indian vegetables. Most importantly I do not have a blender (mixie) in my kitchen. So, all of my recipes for the next few months will be the ones that do not require a blender.

AVIAL

Avial is a Kerala (A South Indian state) dish. It is a semi dry dish prepared with many vegetables in it. The best part is that we get to add 4 – 5 varieties of vegetables in a single dish. I have prepared this dish in its most simplified version without using a blender at all.

It is one of my hubby’s favorite dishes.

Preparation Time – 15 Mins

Serves - 2

Ingredients:

Carrot sliced into 1” length pieces – ¼ cup
Beans sliced into 1” length pieces – ¼ cup
Pumpkin sliced into 1” length pieces – ¼ cup
Yam sliced into 1” length pieces– ¼ cup
Coconut Oil – I Tsp
Corn Oil/ sunflower Oil – 1 Tsp
Cumin Seeds – 1 Tsp
Turmeric – ¼ Tsp
Curry leaves – few
Grated coconut – 1 Tsp
Coconut Milk – 1 Tbsp
Indian Green Chillies – 2
Tamarind pulp – a little
Salt – to taste

Method:

1. Heat 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in the cooker. Add a few cumin seeds and turmeric and salt. Add all the vegetables, 1 tablespoon of coconut milk and some water. Cook until the vegetables are almost boiled.

2. See to that the vegetables do not get mashed. In this dish the vegetables should not be cooked soft. (I left the vegetables in the cooker for about 5 mins till the steam came out)

3. In a frying pan add little oil, cumin seeds, green chillies, curry leaves and grated coconut and a tiny weeny bit of tamarind pulp.

Mix the vegetables with this. The dish is ready!

Avial goes well with steam rice.