Avial is traditional recipe of South Indians, a must in kerala cuisine. Avial is a must on Pongal lunch menu in my home. Avial is a prepared with a many varieties of vegetables which is cooked with pigeon pea/toor dal and curd. Avial has a unique taste with the flavor of many veggies in it.

A very simple and easy recipe, also consumes less time. This is a most popular festive recipe when coming to south Indian vegetarian meals. It goes out well with steamed rice and sambar. Also perfect with Adai / Lentil Dosa for dinner and breakfast among all the Tamilians.

Do check out my Adai / Lentil Dosa recipe in this link: https://madraasi.com/2015/04/12/adai-dal-dosa-lentil-crepes/.

Do check out my Sambar recipes in this link: https://madraasi.com/main-course/vegetarian/.

Avial

Ingredients:

• Carrot – 1 no
• Radish – 1 no
• Drumstick – 1 no
• Potato – 1 no
• French beans – 50 gm
• Broad beans – 50 gm
• Plantain – 1 no
• Brinjal / Eggplant – 3 nos
• Green chillies – 2 nos
• Coconut – 2 tbsp
• Cumin seeds – 1 ½ tsp
• Big onion – 1 no
• Yogurt / Curd – 2 tbsp
• Salt
• Coconut oil – 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
• Split blackgram – ¼ tsp
• Curry leaves –  a strand

Spices tempered, onions and garlic getting cooked

Ground coconut masala

Boiled and mashed split peas/toor dal/ tuvaram paruppu

Cooked vegetables

Water getting drained

Masala getting cooked

Masala cooked

With cooked vegetables

Getting cooked with the reserved vegetable water

With split peas

With Yogurt/curd

Almost done

Avial

Preparation:

• Finely chop the onion and chop carrot, radish, french beans lengthwise.
• Chop the other vegetables to medium pieces.
• Pressure-cook all the vegetables only for a whistles (else the veggies would be mashed).
• Remove the lid, when the pressure subsides, drain the water and keep the vegetables and water aside.
• Grind coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds together by adding little water to a fine paste.
• Heat oil in a kadai, add in the mustard seeds, blackgram and curry leaves and wait until they crackle.
• Add in the onions and cook until they turn golden brown in color.
• Pour in the ground masala and cook until the raw smell goes off.
• Add in the pressure-cooked vegetables along with the salt and cook for few mins.
• Pour in 2 tbsps. of reserved water drained from the pressure-cooked vegetables.
• Add in the boiled split peas/toor dal/tuvaram paruppu and cook for few mins.
• Pour in 2 tbsp. of yogurt/curd and cook for few mins.
• Keep in medium flame and cook until it becomes semi-thick.
• Remove from fire.

Serve hot with rice or Adai.