Aviyal – Mixed Vegetables Side Dish

Aviyal – Mixed Vegetables Side Dish






Aviyal:(Kerala Style)

Do you think that men cook better than women??? Hmmm, at some point and sometimes, I do feel that way. Although men are helpless (or at least in my family)!!!

Cooking with my Dad is such a pain to me…slaving myself to lend him spatula, bowls, vessels, gosh…but the food turns out perfect tho’. Again, my brother makes me real sick…when he comes to the kitchen, he practically turns the room into a mini junk yard! Almost, all the groceries from the cabinet will be spread down on the counter top…oil spilling, masala scattering, you name it!! Last but not least, AK gave me lot of hype ‘how good he is at cooking’, I was so impressed when he told me that! But, when the day came for me to share the same roof’, its all upside down!!! Yeah, yeah he does ‘good cooking’…if I am going to be there to do heavy duty like running behind him to gather all the garlic and onion peels, cleaning up the overflowing sink-faucet, stir-frying un attended wok/pan etc.

Well…men cook better than women, but consistency?? Now don’t ask/argue with me…who cooks in the restaurants/weddings and all? I am talking about regular home-cooking. If you(assuming that most of my readers are women)are gifted with good chef(boys/men) at home, who can also clean…then I really do envy you.

My Dad, Brother and AK are the best cooks that I know. Even tho’ they turn their spatulas once in a blue moon, they really do impress me a lot – that’s a gift. Alright enough too much hype’…I could see ‘brimming beam of confidence glittering in their eyes’.

My Dad’s Special – Fish Curry
Pari’s – Zucchini Bake (my brother)
AK’s – Aviyal (Yes, this Aviyal).

Ingredients:

Vegetables(cut them into 3-4 inches thick chunks)
Carrots
Raw plantain/green plantain
Yellow pumpkin
Cucumber 1
Elephant yam
Snake gourd/Ash gourd
Drumsticks
Eggplant(brinjal)
Long runner beans/string beans
Mango 1 piece.

You can substitute with vegetables like squash, cauliflower, Ridge gourd etc…it turns out good. There are no big rules in my kitchen, what is available…I’ll try to make use of it. If you have access to Indian/native vegetables, its more than good.

Sour buttermilk 1 bowl full
salt
Onion 1 large sliced
Coconut oil 1-2 spoons
Cumin seeds 2-3 spoons
Green chilies 6
Whole coconut(fresh)
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Curry leaves few.

Method:

In a wide vessel, heat oil. Add sliced onions, vegetables, salt and buttermilk. Cook them over low-medium heat.

In a blender, add 2 spoons of cumin seeds, bell onions, green chilies and coconut. Grind them to thick paste. Set aside.

When the vegetables are 3/4th done, add this thick coconut paste. Cook without lid. Once the water content is reduced. Remove from heat.

In a separate pan, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin and curry leaves. Run this seasonings over the Aviyal made above.

Serve this as a side dish to go with your sambhar rice.

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26 Responses so far.

  1. Sarah Naveen says:

    Avial looks so yummy dear…AK is a good cook :) ..
    Same her about running behind my DH to pick all onion, garlic and veg peels…and cleaning is a big mess ;)

  2. Priya says:

    Such an authentic dish of Kerala, looks fantastic Malar..

  3. Latha says:

    Aviyal….my all time fav. My version is a little different…..Yours looks really very inviting :) .

  4. When are u planning to invite me over to taste that yummy aviyal Malar:)

  5. Padma says:

    That is true about men’s cooking even though they cook some dishes well – I always think we should make them clean the whole mess :)
    Aviyal looks colorful and delicious. Long time since I made them.

  6. it’s exactly what you say that happens when men cook :) at least in my home!!!

    every time my J comes to the kitchen, we have nice food that’s true, but when it comes to clean the kitchen, it’s oil splashes,(as he puts the meat or veggies in oil when the oil does “SSSSSSHHHHHHHHHH” at the highest flame, without any lid of course) sauce spills, lots of tomatoes in his curries and my rack would almost be empty if he passes there :) and especially all washed vessels piled up in a way that if I touch one, everything will fall down, hihhihi

    and not only that it’s exactly like you with your dad, HE COOKS but I have to be an assitant to him, passing him the casseroles/ prepare vegetables/ cook rice ( as he hates to do that) and finally cleaning the kitchen !!!!

    malar, men are all the same!!!

    you know why we think chefs (in rastaurants and wedding halls) are different? because there too, they’re assisted by a dozen of assistants like us, that’s why, they seem to excel…hihihhi otherwise they’re the same!!!!

    but the avial looks rich and well garnished, grand and perfect!! I have to accept that :) bravo to your AK !!

    have a nice day dear!!!

  7. Malar Gandhi says:

    Oh yeah, Vino…I forgot to add this point, he simply depletes my whole weeks staple over one dish, duh. Exactly, too much of tomatoes and onions, almost one whole bag in one curry, mind blowing! And they all don’t know to wind the stove knobs to sim, medium or low…its always on super high, even my brand new triple coated teflon gets burnt up!!! Hot oil, spilling is inevitable!!!!!

  8. Malar Gandhi says:

    Oh Padma, thats exactly I am talking about…cooking over and over the same few dishes, ha ha ha…but nice,I know:):)

  9. Malar Gandhi says:

    Ha ha, can’t help but laughing Sarah’ it looks like I am not alone in this:)

  10. priya says:

    i just love this…..looks so tempting

  11. M D says:

    this is one of my loved South Indian dishes, but have never made it myself. Your post inspired me to make my avial :) Liked your write-up on can think that men cook better than women?

  12. Meena says:

    Nice Aviyal…its a fave in our house!

  13. Pavithra says:

    Happy to know its the same in every house hee hee !!.Here my H claims he cooks super fast and he says he really helps me cooking but at the end of it actually I wud have been totally exhausted after running behind him. He wud have never got anything in hand and just turns the stove on as u said in full high and demand for everything.I have to pick out stuffs and give within a blink.OMG , but i have to agree he is a better cook than me.

    Very yummy avial malar !!

    Thanks a lot for ur comments dear.. am so happy ..

  14. Swathi says:

    Malar,

    Aviyal looks good. Same thing happening in my kitchen, however S helped me to survive last month of pregnancy and after six months by making few dishes he specialized on.

  15. Dolly says:

    Hey Girls.I agree with you all and I’m laughing as I’m reading everybody’s comments. Its the same at my place. My DH cooks and I must agree cooks really well but all the mess and yes the stove ofcourse its always on high heat..I guess thats how men cook…Dear Malar, I love AK’s recipe for avial. LOve the Clicks and it looks delicious. I’ve been thinking abt making it this week..only feeling so lazy to go grocery shopping for all the veges.

  16. Gita says:

    I too have a hard time cleaning up after my hubby does the cooking…but we have a good time anyway :) Aviyal looks good dear…nice color and very rich :)

  17. Looks very rich and yummy and that speaks for kerala style dish!!! Tasty Avial!!!

  18. Katy says:

    Grins, my brother is a terrific cook, better than I. And he’s a super neat-nik!

    My Ole Sweetie-Pi can mix two different kinds of canned soup. No comment on his housekeeping talents, sigh.

  19. Aparna says:

    avial a part of kerala sadhya luks yummy, my sis is an expert in cooking avial. but Malar my dad, my hubby 2 men in my life, really gud cooks,If they enter the kitchn for cooking anystuffs.the kitchen never turn messd, Really i m proud that my hubby do everything orderly, perfectly and also very neat,even the stove top luks neat too..but the funny thing if he takes 1 hour to prepare, i will tke 1/2 an hour.

  20. Hehe, My Hubby is a great cook too! And he focuses on cleanliness all the time! Kitchen and utensils must be always clean n neat for him. And he maintains the same after finished cooking. I’m totally amazed with him. :)

    Aviyal looks great!

  21. SO muc of eliciouness here…loving it and thanx a ton for hopping by…..am drooling over all ur pics here….

  22. Pravs says:

    Malar, you are lucky AK cooks, here i have to do all the cooking and long for if only my DH knew how to hold a knife :) Nice aviyal.

  23. Deepti says:

    Well said malar…totally agree with u…avial luks very healthy n nice.

  24. Gulmohar says:

    That’s true..But my DH is trying his best these days, to keep the place clean ;-)
    Aviyal is an all time fav and I liked your version

  25. I was just thinking of making this. What’s bell onion…

    first 3 pics are really good….

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