Avial

 Avial is a hodgepodge of a number of different vegetables in a gravy of curd or tamarind pulp and tempered with coconut oil, and curry leaves at the end of its preparation. It has its origins in Kerala and is an important constituent of a sadya. To our avial, we added a melange of carrot, beans, yam, drumstick, snake gourd, ash gourd, green brinjal, yellow cucumber (velarikka) and ivy gourd (kovakka). There are many tales that relate the invention of avial to the Mahabharatha. 

The additives of Mom's appetizing side dish..

Vegetables (a bit of everything mentioned earlier)

Green chili - 2

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Coconut oil - 1 tsp

Water - 1/2 cup

Tamarind - a small piece

Coconut, grated - 1 cup

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp

Shallots - 3

Curry leaf - a few

Turmeric powder - a speck

The technique...

Chop vegetables lengthwise into matchstick sizes. Cook yam separately with little water as it takes longer to be done as compared to the other vegetables.

Grind coconut, cumin seeds, shallots and turmeric powder mishmash for 2 seconds. Then add a few curry leaves and grind for a second. Put aside.

Slit green chilies. In a cooking vessel, add in the rest of the vegetables, green chilies, salt, water and 1/2 tsp of coconut oil. Cover and bring to boil. Once the vegetables are cooked, add tamarind juice. Let the water almost dry up. 

Prepare a small well in the vegetables and spoon in the coconut amalgam. Cover it with the rest of the vegetables. Cover the vessel with a lid and cook for 2 minutes. Stir the hotchpotch. Add a tempering of coconut oil and curry leaves on top.

Delight in the nummy avial with red rice.