Aviyal

Hello,

Let me share with you a very simple but a very delicious dish which goes along with roti, rice and adai! wonder what is that magical dish - AVIYAL.

Mythology - Invention of aviyal.

Source - Wikipedia

 It is supposed to have been invented by Bhima (one of the 

Pandava brothers) during their exile. According to the legend, 

when Ballav (Bhima's name during this time) assumed his 

duties as the cook in the kitchen of Virata, he did not know how

to cook. One of the first things he did was to chop up many 

different vegetables, boil them together and top the dish with 

grated coconut. There are mythological variations. Bheema is 

said to have prepared Avial, when there were unexpected 

guests for King Virata and he needed to serve meals for them. 

There was no sufficient vegetables to cook any single recipe 

for side dish, so Bheema used what ever available vegetables 

to make a new dish, which came to know as Avial.

Another narrative version relates to the attempt made by Kauravas to kill Bhima. After poisoning Bhima, Kauravas tied Bhima and threw him to water. Kauravas also communicated that they saw Bhima drowning in water. With the completion of the days of mourning, a funeral feast was planned and preparation were underway. Unexpectedly, Bhima emerged from the water, rescued by the Nagas. With this, preparations for the feast was cancelled. However, Bhima was unhappy with this decision, and decided to mix all of the vegetables to prepare a new dish, that later became popular as Avial..

Great its wonderful to know there really exists a beautiful story behind this dish!

Aviyal 

Ingredients

Drum sticks - 2

raw banana - 1

carrot - 2

beans - 10

payar - 10

brinjal - 2

mango - 1

yam (chenna) - a small piece (100 grms)

mathan - a small piece 

elavan - a small piece

kanni vellarikka - a small piece

Coconut - 1/2 cup

curd - 1/2 cup

salt as required

curry leaves - a few

green chilly - 6

jeera - 1 tsp

Method of Preparation

* Cut, peel and chop chenna into very thin 2 inch long pieces. Add little salt and stem it. Keep aside.

*Wash peel  mathan, elavan, kanni vellarikka and cut into 2 inch long thin pieces. Cut rest of the vegetables like brinjal, drum stick, beans, payar etc also into 2 inch long pieces. 

* Grind coconut, jeera, green chilly, curry leaves into coarse paste by adding very less water. 

* whisk curd .

* In a thick bottom pan pour water add drum sticks, salt and turmeric. Cook till soft. Now add rest of the vegetables and cook till all veggies are tender. Add chenna to it, now add coconut paste, mix well, add whisked curd, and allow it to cook for about 5 minutes. Adjust salt. Off the stove pour raw coconut oil on top and serve with your roti, adai or rice.

Note : Those who wish to make aviyal as a side dish can avoid adding curd and can steam vegetables.