Aviyal

Tasty side dish prepared with vegetables, curd and coconut. Aviyal is a delicious Indian curry that can be prepared easily. Aviyal can be prepared in instant pot as well.

I love coconut based dishes, and of all the coconut based dishes I do, Aviyal is my favorite. I still remember those childhood days when I question my Amma what is Aviyal. I knew koottu, sambar, curry (dry side dish), kuzhambu etc., as these are the basic ones we frequently eat at home. My Amma somehow convinces me telling its koottu.

I now disagree, as I have noticed three factors in most of the koottu – turmeric powder, cumin seeds and dal). Aviyal cooked at home doesn’t have that and so is the argument 🙂 My son is yet to start arguing with me as he is just 16 months, but knowing my history I know I have a challenge 🙂 Coming back to Aviyal, I cooked Aviyal on kaanum pongal with puliyodarai, Sakkarai pongal, coconut rice and semiya bagala bath and was it my draft for almost 2 months. Saturday is nombu for us, and I was thinking what was the recent festival. Remembered pongal and also remembered about the Aviyal in draft. Here it is 🙂

For Instant Pot version,

Ingredients:

Mixed Vegetables –  3 cups, peeled and chooped into bite size pieces (I used potato, white pumpkin, carrot, beans, ashgourd, drumstick, raw banana)

Thick Curd – 3 tbsp

Milk – 2 tbsp 

Salt – to taste

To grind

Coconut – 1/2 cup

Green Chilli – 1 (Adjust according your taste)

To Temper:

Coconut Oil – 2 tsp

Curry leaves – few

Method:

• Boil water in a vessel and when the water boils, add carrot, beans, potato, drumstick, white pumpkin with little salt; cover and cook. Once the veggies are half cooked add raw banana; cook till veggies are fork tender. In a colander drain the veggies and keep the water

• Blend the coconut and green chilli into coarse paste with little water
• In the same pan add the cooked vegetables along with the coconut paste. Sprinkle the veggie cooked water according the consistency you desire (generally Aviyal is thick so I add very little water) and cook for 3 – 5 min
• Add salt and milk to the aviyal cook for a minute and switch off

• When the aviyal is cool down a bit add curd
• In a separate pan add oil, once the oil becomes hot, add add curry leaves allow it splutter. Add to the aviyal.  Serve it as a side dish for variety rice or with plain steamed rice