Avial

Avial is a traditional dish of Kerala. No feast i.e., the traditional vegetarian meal served during festivals and marriages is said to be complete without avial. It is believed to have been originated from South India and is common in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Udupi cuisine. It is a thick mixture of  assorted vegetables, coconut and thick curd which seasoned with a heavy sprinkle of fresh coconut oil and curry leaves.

According to Wikipedia, there are many versions of how avial was first introduced into the cuisine or rather how and when was it made for the first time.

It is supposed to have been invented by Bheema (one of the Pandava brothers) during their exile in the jungle. According to the legend, when Ballav (Bheema’s name during this time) assumed his duties as the cook in the kitchen of Virata, he did not know how to cook. One of the first things he did was to chop up many different vegetables, boil them together and top the dish with grated coconut. There are mythological variations. Bheema is said to have prepared Avial, when there were unexpected guests for King Virata and he needed to serve meals for them. There was no sufficient vegetables to cook any single recipe for side dish, so Bheema used what ever available vegetables to make a new dish, which came to be known as Avial.

Another narrative version relates to the attempt made by kauravas to kill Bheema. After poisoning Bheema, Kauravas tied him and threw him to water. Kauravas also communicated that they saw Bheema drowning in water. With the completion of the days of mourning, a funeral feast was planned and preparation were underway. Unexpectedly, Bheema emerged from the water. With this, preparations for the feast was cancelled. However, Bheema was unhappy with this decision, and decided to mix all of the vegetables to prepare a new dish, that later became popular as Avial. Another myth is that in the kingdom of thiruvithankor in Kerala there was a great fest held by the king. Every one in the kingdom came to eat so there was a shortage of curry to be served. And the kitchen stocks were also limited, so when the king visited the kitchen he found that a lot of vegetables were wasted when they were peeled . The king ordered the cook to make a curry with this along with some other ingredients and this is how Avial was invented .

Ingredients:

• Ash gourd 100-150 gm
• Drumstick 1-2
• Yam 100 gm
• Carrot 1 medium
• Snake gourd 50 gm (a small piece)
• Bottle gourd 50 gm (a small piece)
• French beans 6-7
• Cluster beans 6-7
• Raw plantain 1 medium
• Raw mango a small piece  (optional)
• Salt to taste
• Turmeric powder  1 tsp
• Green chillies 4-5
• Curry leaves 2-3 sprigs
• Coconut 1/2
• Thick curd 1 cup
• Coconut oil 1-2 tsp

Method:

• Peel and wash the vegetables. Cut them into 2-3 inch long uniform finger like pieces. Soak them in water.
• Take a thick bottom pan and add the root vegetables first and then the others on top of it.
• Add a cup of water, salt and turmeric powder and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the flame and cover and cook till the vegetables are soft and tender. Do not stir the vegetables and mash them.
• Grate the coconut and pulse it in a mixer along with the green chillies and few curry leaves.
• Add the curd and pulse for a minute. No need to make a fine paste. Let it be a bit coarse.
• Add the coconut mixture to the cooked vegetables and mix gently.
• Boil for a minute or two. Adjust the salt and sprinkle the coconut oil on top.
• Garnish with curry leaves and serve hot with steamed rice.

Notes:

• The choice of vegetables is purely personal. Basically, you can add any root vegetable plus any form of gourd or any firm vegetable. Better to avoid brinjal, ladies finger etc.
• In some version, tamarind paste is added in place of curd.
• The consistency of this dish can be according to your preference.
• Some people do not add turmeric powder and keep the dish whitish.
• In some other version, red chilli powder is also added along with turmeric powder.
• Some people add bitter gourd too.