No, this not the regular avial! Keeping the procedure same ,I have used other variety of vegetables for this avial. I planned to make avial but I was in short of many veggies So, I tried to give a shot with few other veggies.Because the ultimate aim is to incorporate some vegetables in our diet without loosing the taste 😉
I have used yellow cucumber/vellarikka, French Beans, Carrot, Ivy gourd/kovakka, Brinjal/vazhuthanaga and mango as souring agent. You can add yam/raw banana, drumstick if you have those( I did not have them in hand, So i skipped 😉 )
So please do not be skeptical to make Avial,if you do not have those usual veggies that you may use of making an Avial 🙂
Vegetable Melange -Relative of Avial
- Vegetables cut length wise : 1 bowl of vegetables( 1/2 cup cucumber+1 small carrot+3-4 ivy gourd/kovakka+4-5 French Beans+1 Brinjal+1/4 cup yam(if using) +1 drumstick (if using )** refer notes
- Raw Mango : 1/4 cup or less (if the mango is very sour)
- Turmeric powder :1/4 tsp
- Red chilli powder : 1/2 tsp
- salt : as per taste
- coconut grated : 1/2 cup
- cumin seeds :a pinch
- green chillies : 2 slit + 1/4 of a green chilli
- Curry leaves : 2 springs
- coconut oil :2tsp
- water 1.5 cups
Method:
- Take the vegetables cut length wise along with mango, 2 slit green chillies ,turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and water in a deep bottom vessel.
- Let the water boil well for 2-3 minutes and then bring down the flame to low.
- Cover it using a lid and let the vegetables cook through in low flame .
- It may take 15-20 minutes , depending on the vegetables used.
- After 15 minutes , check for the doneness of the vegetables ,allowing the water to evaporate well.
- Meanwhile grind together coconut ,cumin seeds. 1/4 of a green chilli with 2 tsp of water into a coarse paste.
- Once the water is evaporated well and vegetables are cooked add the coarse coconut paste into it and mix well.
- switch off the flame ,not letting the coconut paste to cook.
- Sprinkle the curry leaves and coconut oil on top.
- Serve with hot with rice.
Notes:
- You can also cook this in pressure cooker, for one whistle.In that case use 1/2 -3/4 cup of water.
- while choosing quantity of vegetables , you can follow the this quantity as well
- 1 cup -cucumber
- 1/4 cup -carrot
- 1/4cup -ivy gourd
- 1 no -brinjal
- 1 no- drumstick(if using)
- 1/4 cup-yam(if using)
- 1/4 cup – french beans.
- This quantity makes for one meal for 2-3 people.So, if you want to serve for more ,double the above measures.
- Slow cooking takes time but it delivers the actual taste 😉
- Use green chillies as per the spice level of it.
- I recommend not to use more of red chilli powder , instead use green chillies if you want more spice.
- Do not use more of green chilli while grinding , as the paste would taste green chilli which completely alters the taste of the dish.
- You can also 2-3 shallots sliced along with vegetables for a different taste.
- If you are someone who likes less spice , I recommend not to cut the green chilli length wise , rather cut it diagonally into two and not to use it while grinding.
