Description
Changing up the way you taste vegetables.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1 large red potato, peeled and cubed
- 1 green banana, peeled and cut into ½” slices
- 1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables
- 1/3 cup green peas
- 1 cup Indian style whole milk yogurt
Ingredients for grinding:
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 3 Thai green chilies
- 1 tbsp ginger, grated
- 1/2 cup unsweetened grated coconut (fresh/frozen)
- 4 tbsp water
Ingredients for tempering:
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 3/4 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 2 dried red chilies
Instructions
- Prepare the coconut paste, by grinding cumin seeds, green chilies, ginger and coconut with 4 tablespoons of water. Set this aside to use later.
- Boil the 2 ½ cups of water in a deep saucepan. Once boiling, place in the cubed potatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes. Then, place in the green banana slices, cooking for an additional 3 minutes.
- Next, add the frozen avial vegetable mixture and boil for 3 minutes, before placing in the peas and boiling for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- While the vegetables are boiling, whisk the ground coconut paste and yogurt together. Once the vegetables are softened, turn the heat to low, and gently add the yogurt a little at a time.
- Cook on low just until the raw coconut smell is gone. Do not cook too long as the yogurt will curdle.
- Lastly, heat the coconut oil in a small skillet. Once heated add the mustard seeds. Once the popping slows down, immediately add the curry leaves and red chilies. Pour this tempered oil on top of the avial. Serve with rice.
Notes
- Each state has a slightly different way of preparing this dish – some are thicker in consistency, some use turmeric while others don’t, some temper at the end and some don’t. This recipe is one similar to how my family from Tamilnadu prepares it.
- The vegetables used in avial are indigenous vegetables such as moringa drumsticks, elephant foot yam,and snake gourd combined with more familiar vegetables like green beans and carrots.