Avial (Mixed vegetable curry)

Avial is one of my favourites from Kerala cuisine. Its so simple but the flavour is extraordinary. Keralites use coconut in most of their dishes and especially this dish is relished with coconut. Any mixed vegetable can be used for this dish, but traditionally used vegetables are plantain, pumpkin, yam/karuna kizangu,drumstick, potato and carrot. I refreshed my memory with the help of Suganya's Avial recipe...The best combo for avial is adai, most of the restaurants serve this combo.

Checkout Suganya's version of Avial...



Ingredients:

1 cup Mixed vegetables ( carrot bean, peas, corn, potato)
4 tbsp grated coconut
7 green chillies
1/2 cup beaten yogurt (homemade is better)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
salt to taste
curry leaves
2tbsp Coconut oil

Preparation:
Cut veggies length wise say 1 inch length. Cook vegetables in a microwave until 75 % done. Grind green chillies, cumin and coconut to a thick fine paste. Transfer ground paste, vegetables and salt to a pan. Add salt and cook till the raw smell vanish from the paste.Don't over cook the vegetables. Once the vegetables are cooked. Remove from heat. Add yogurt and coconut oil. Mix well and cover and leave it alone for 30 mts. Serve with avial. Don't cook after adding yogurt. If wanna re-heat it, heat in microwave for 1 mt.

Bottle gourd / Sorakay curry

Its getting hotter day by day in Houston. Even though we had a splash of rain and thunderstorm on Monday still hot..Can u imagine standing near the hot stove without window in the kitchen..so hot..I actually reduced my cooking time..not trying any new things..I have to go through this hot climate for another 4 months.. cant imagine.. I wanted to make something cooling..we know mor kozhumbu but this is simplified version..learnt from my keralite Friends..This is very easy and can be done in jiffy..I loved the soothing effect of bottle gourd and cooling of yogurt..

Ingredients:

1 bottle gourd

2 cups yogurt ( use sour yogurt/home made)

1/2 tsp turmeric

salt to taste

7 green chillies(adjust to ur taste)

1 tbsp grated coconut

1 tsp cumin and mustard

3 redchillies

curry leaves

oil

Preparation:

Clean the bottle gourd/Sorakay and dice them to bite size piece.

Make a smooth paste with green chillies and coconut.

Heat oil in a pan, do the seasoning with mustard, cumin, redchillies and curry leaves.

Add bottle gourd and fry for few minutes.

Add ground paste, turmeric and salt.

Add 1 cup water, cover and cook over medium heat.

Once the bottle gourd is soft, reduce the heat and add the whisked yogurt.

Remove from heat. Let it stand for 10 mts for the flavours to mix up.

Serve hot with rice!!!

Idiyappam

Idiyappam is a famous breakfast in Kerala as well as Tamilnadu..Donno who invented it..To my knowledge puttu and idiayappam are from 'Gods own Country' Kerala. Kerala is a greenish place with trees and sea surrounding them. I have been all parts of Kerala. My favourites are Trivendrum Beach and Allepey Back waters..When I was in Coimbatore, we spend most of the vacation in kerala..I love their puttu, Idiyappam and big rice (donno the name). Idiyappam and coconut milk is lovely combo..u can just keep eating U never know how many idiyappam u had!!!

Likewise in tamilndu, Idiyappam and Paya (attukal kozhumbu) is a famous breakfast. When u add the spicy paya to the soft idiyappam..it just melts away in ur mouth..wooow what an amazing taste...mouth watering even to think about it...

Ingredients:

Idiyappam

Raw rice or Rice flour 1 cup
1 cup warm water
1 pinch of salt

Coconut milk

1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp cardamom seeds
sugar to taste

Preparation:

Traditional process:

Soak raw rice for 6 hours. Grind it to a thick batter..slightly thicker than idli batter. Heat a non stick pan and transfer the batter to the pan. Keep stirring on a low fame. Once the water is absorbed and the batter becomes thick like a soft dough. Remove from heat and let it cool down.

Fill the idiyappam press with the dough and make desired shape in idli pan. Steam it for 15 mts or until done...

Easy Process:

Mix Rice flour with warm water and salt to make a soft dough.Make sure u use a good quality rice flour. Fill the idiyappam press and make desired shape. steam till done..so easy!!!

Coconut milk:

Grind cardamom seeds to smooth powder.Mix coconut milk, sugar and cardamom powder. Heat it microwave for 3 mts..Ready...

Serve hot with coconut milk!!!