Mango and Mixed Vegetable Avial

Avial is always, always found in a sadya (feast served on plantian leaf. But very few South Indians consider it a special dish. Maybe because it is made when one cannot think of anything to cook or simply when the ingredients are available. Usually curd-based, come mango season and it is replaced by the fruit to give it a tangy flavour.

Ingredients:

• 200 gms round grourd cut into pieces
• 200 gms yam cut into pieces
• 200 gms carrots cut into pieces
• 200 gms snake gourd cut into pieces
• 2 drumsticks roughly broken into pieces
• 200 snow peas broken into pieces
• 1 raw banana diced
• 1 raw mango diced
• 1 1/2 cup grated coconut
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• handful of curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 3-4 green chillies

Method:

• Steam all the vegetables with salt and turmeric.
• Coarse grind chilies, coconut and cumin and add it to the vegetables once they are done and drained of all the water.
• In a pan, heat coconut oil, saute curry leaves, add it to the vegetables and serve as a side dish to sambhar (lentil and vegetable curry) and rice.

Do you like your avial with curd or mango?