18. Avial kuzhambu

Avial kuzhambu is the simplest and delicious gravy.

Ingredients:
Curd / Butter milk (sour) - 1 cup
Salt - 1 tbs
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Hinge - a pinch
Rice flour - 1tbs

Ash gourd - 1 cup(Chopped)
Potato - 1/2 cup (Chopped)
Carrot - 4 pieces
Broad beans (avaraikai) - 1/2 cup
Brinjal - 2 chopped
colocasia -4 (pressure cooked)

For grinding:
Grated coconut - 1cup
Green chilli - 7
Jeera - 1 tsp

Seasoning:
Coconut oil - 1tbs
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Vendhayam - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves

Method:

1. Boil all the vegetables adding salt, turmeric powder and hinge 3 cups of water.
2. Grind all the items mentioned into a thin paste and add to the boiling vegetables.
3. Stir well and allow it to boil.
4. Churn the curd well and add. Then add rice flour paste. 
5. Heat till the gravy just rise up. Add boiling water if the consistency is very thick.
6. Season and serve hot along with rice and fried applam/vathal/vadam.

9. Avial

8.       Avial

Ingredients

Ash guard - 200gm
Snake guard - 100gm
yam - 100gm
potato - 1(big)
Drumstick - 1
Brinjal - 50gm
Arvi/colacasia -5
Raw banana -1
Carrot - 2 
Brinjal - 2
Beans - 50gm
Kothavarangai/cluster beans -50gm
Avaraikai - 50gm
Salt - 2tbs
Optional
Fresh Green peas - 50gm
Sweet potato -1
 For grinding
 Coconut - 1/2 shell(big size)
Jeera - 1tsp
Green chilli -10
Red chilli -1

For tempering
Coconut oil - 2tbs
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Curry leaves
For spreading
Grated Coconut - 2tsp
Coconut oil - 2tbs
Curd - 2tbs

Method:

1.       Peel the skin of yam, raw banana and yam. Wash all the vegetables and cut length wise (1 ½ inch approx).

2.       Pressure cook arvi separately and peel off the skin and keep aside.

3.       Cook all the vegetables in a non stick container adding salt.

4.       Meanwhile grind all the ingredients given under grinding coarsely.

5.       Once the vegetables are cooked, peel the skin of arvi and add.

6.       Add the ground coconut to the vegetables and mix thoroughly.

7.       Allow it  to boil for 2 seconds.

8.       Heat coconut oil and add mustard seeds. Add curry leaves after mustard seeds splutters.

9.       Spread grated coconut and coconut oil.

10.   After it is cool add curd and mix well.

Note: You can even add curd to the quantity which you are going to use immediately. Adding to the whole lot may turn sour after sometime. So it is to be refrigerated. 

4. Avial kootu

4.       Avial kootu

All the vegetables that are mentioned in plain kootu can be used for making avial kootu.
Ingredients(4persons)
Vegetable - 200/250gms
coconut (grated ) - 1/2 cup
Jeera - 1/2tsp
greenchili - 2
Rice flour - 1tbs
Asafoetida - a pinch
Turmeric powder - a pinch (optional)

Seasoning
Coconut oil -2tsp
Mustard seeds -1 tsp
Jeera -1/2 tsp
Urid dal -1/2tsp
Red chili -1
Asafoetida - a pinch
Curry leaves
Method

1.       Wash and cut the vegetables into small pieces. Cook the vegetable in a cup of water, salt and asafoetida.

2.       Grind coconut, green chili and jeera into fine paste.

3.       Mix with cooked vegetable and boil it for 2 seconds.

4.       Add rice flour paste and mix thoroughly and allow it to just boil.

5.       Season with all the ingredients mentioned for seasoning.

Tips: You can add a spoonful of grated coconut while seasoning and fry slightly and add. This gives a nice aroma and special taste.