Avial ( Tamilnadu Style)

This is the first time I made Avial. I tasted Avial in few south indian restaurants. I don’t know the actual traditional way of making it.  When my sister asked me to make Adai, I thought of making Avial too.  I remembered the taste I had in Indian restaurants so came up with this recipe. I found it as a mix of all vegetables what we have in the fridge with an addition of sumptuous coconut and yogurt.

Ingredients:
Chow Chow – 1/2 (Peel, wash and cut into small 2 inch length pieces)
Raw Banana – 1 – Peel, Wash and cut to small 2 inch length pieces
Tindoora (Dondakaya) – 8 – 10 in number – (Wash and cut long into 4 pieces)
Beans – 10 in number – Wash Cut into 2 inch pieces
Potato – 1 (Peel, Wash and cut into lengthy thin pieces)
Green Chillies – 4 (as per taste)
Fresh Grated Coconut – 1 small cup -  (I used frozen coconut) - Use coconut milk too instead of coconut
Cumin seeds/ Jeera- 1 spoon
Curd / Yogurt – 2 spoons
Turmeric – a pinch (Optional)

Oil – 1 spoon
Mustard Seeds, Cumin seeds – 1 spoon
Curry leaves – 10 in number

Preparation Method:
Grind grated coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds. Add little water if required and make a smooth paste. Kept it aside. Take a pan, add all chopped vegetables, salt, turmeric, half a cup water to the vegetables. Cover the vegetables and cook till the vegetables get soft. Don’t cook the vegetables till mushy.  Add the coconut paste to the vegetables, add the yogurt and let it cook for 2 more mins. Remove from the heat.  Take a different pan, add oil and let it heat. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves to the hot oil. Let it fry for a min and add the tempering to the vegetables.  Serve with Hot rice or Adai.

You can add or make this recipe with Pumpkins, any Squash varieties, Zucchini, Carrots, Drumsticks, Snow Peas or Eggplant/Brinjal etc., I don’t have any of these vegetables at home, so I used what I have for time being)