Aviyal (Mixed vegetables in curd gravy)

Aviyal  is a dish prepared with as many vegetables as one can get. There is a legend about this dish. The Maharaja of Travancore used to perform Murajapam every year, a vedic seminar, in which a large number of vedic scholars participated. One year it so happened that there was no vegetables left on the last day of the Murajapam.. Only few pieces of various vegetables left over from the previous days were available. The cook cut all the left overs into long thin pieces and prepared "Aviyal." The king liked the dish so much and presented him with a gold bracelet and ordered that this dish be served every year since then.Almost any vegetable can be used to make this dish except those that are mushy and those that stain the gravy .

It can be prepared as thick gravy or thin . I usually prepare the thin variety as I love its gravy also. Its an easy way to feed vegetables to kids as the gravy is non spicy. I remember when I was small too I never liked eating veggies but I used to love amma's aviyal so much that I eat all the vegetables in it. Here I have substituted some Indian vegetables with its similar ones available in any grocery store.

Serves two

INGREDIENTS:

• Mixed vegetables - Raw plantain, Yam, Payar or beans, Carrot, Avara (Snow peas), Ivy guard (kovakka) , Drumstick ( muringa) , yellow squash - 1 cup (all sliced lengthwise if possible)
• Grated coconut- 1/4 cup
• Cumin seeds (Jeera) - 1 tablespoon
• Green chillies- 4 finely chopped
• Beaten curd /yogurt - 4 tablespoons 
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tablespoon
• Salt as needed
• Coconut oil - 1/4 tablespoon
• Curry leaves to garnish

How to Prepare: 

Step 1: Coconut curd paste

Dry grind grated coconut with green chillies and cumin seeds. Add the curd and grind for 5 seconds till it is mixed well with the coconut paste. 

Step 2: Boil the vegetables

Pressure cook the raw plantain, yam, carrots, beans and yellow squash with turmeric powder and salt. When done add the rest of the vegetables like drumstick , snow peas and ivy guard. Mix well and cook . Lower the flame and add the coconut paste . Mix well and cook for another 10 minutes till the gravy is thick. Add needed salt. When done switch off the flame. 

Step 3: Seasoning

Add coconut oil and curry leaves on top of the gravy. Serve hot with boiled rice.