AVIAL – Vegetables in Coconut and Curd Gravy

AVIAL – VEGETABLES IN COCONUT-CURD GRAVY

Avial is a mixture of selected boiled vegetables cooked in coconut-curd base. A curry-like thick Avial (Variation 1) can be relished as a side dish with the main course. The gravy-like Avial (Variation 2), can be mixed with rice. This type of Avial is served with Aapams and Adais (both are variations of pancakes) in many restaurants.

Avial lends a special festive touch to even a simple meal. Poosnikai (Ash gourd), Murungakai (Drumstick) and Chena Kizhangu (Elephant yam) are the key vegetables in the preparation of Avial. In addition, you can also use one or more of these vegetables as well - brinjal, marrow, french beans, carrots, raw banana, potatoes, field beans, cucumber, and broad beans.

Care has to be taken while cutting the yam to prevent itching and irritation. A thin coating of oil on the hand, or rubbing the hands with tamarind juice will help. A friend who tried in earnest to help out in the kitchen, created a ruckus when she saw what she thought was her skin peeling off after cutting marrows. It’s just the juice of marrow that had dries into a thin film on hands, which can be virtually peeled off! Beet roots and Raw Bananas will leave a black stain on the finger tips after cutting. Guarding your hands before chopping vegetables prevents a lot of unpleasantness after good cooking. Happy cooking without stains and pains!

AVIAL - Variation 1

Ingredients
Vegetables:
Cut the following vegetables into two inch long strips.
Ash gourd -1 cup
Drumsticks - 1 cup
Elephant Yam – 1cup
Carrots -1 cup
French Beans – 1 cup
For the gravy:
Curds – 1 cup
Freshly grated coconut – 1 cup
Green chillies – 2
Salt - 1 ½ tsps
For seasoning:
Coconut oil – 2 tsps
Curry leaves – a few

Method:
1. Grind grated coconut and green chillies into a smooth and thick paste.
2. Boil the chopped vegetables with just enough water and salt, to ensure that the shape of vegetables is retained, and water is evaporated. Avoid overcooking as the vegetables to a mash!

3. Heat coconut oil in a pan and add the curry leaves.
4. Add the ground coconut paste and toss for a minute.
5. Add the cooked vegetables and salt and toss till you get a pleasant aroma.
6. Remove from flame and mix in the curd.
Enjoy this a side dish or a curry.

AVIAL - Variation 2 - with gravy

Ingredients
The ingredients for this avial are the same as above. The only additional ingredients, in this Avial are 1tsp of rice flour, and additional cups of water.

Method
1. Boil all vegetables, with salt as the recipe above, in a larger quantity of water.
2. Grind grated coconut and green chillies with a tea spoon of rice flour.
3. Mix the ground paste with curd, and an additional cup of water.
4. Remove the boiling vegetables from the flame, and mix in the coconut-curd paste.
5. Add salt to taste, if required.
6. Set this on a low flame again. Simmer up to boiling point, and immediately remove from flame. Note: Over boiling causes the curd to break.
7. Heat the coconut oil, fry the curry leaves, and season the Avial.
Enjoy with aapam, adai , steaming hot rice or puligare.

Idiyappam & Kurma

Roasted rice flour - 2 cup
salt
hot water - 2 cups

I used store bought rice flour sold specifically for idiyappam. If you have fresh rice flour at hand, slightly roast and use. Add salt to the water while boiling. Slowly add the hot water to the rice flour, mixing it using a spatula. Adjust the water to get a soft dough. Pinch a golf ball size dough and with the help of a idiyappam press, press on to idli/idiyappam moulds. Steam cook for 10 minutes.

For side, I prepared kurma following Mallika Badrinath's recipe of Kurma for Idiyappam. I haven't made much changes to the original recipe.

Big onions - 3 nos

Tomatoes - 3 nos

Mixed vegetables, diced - 2 cups (carrot/french beans/cauliflower/potatoes etc)

dhania powder - 2 tspn

chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp

turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn

salt

Fresh thick curds - 1 cup

milk - 1/2 cup

oil - 3 tblspn

Green chillies - 2 nos

cardamom, cinnamon,cloves - few

Grind together

Grated fresh coconut - 3 tblspn

poppy seeds - 2 tspn

cashewnuts - 10 ( I didnn't add)

Slice chillies lenghtwise, finely chop onions and tomatoes.

Steam cook /MW the vegetables.

Heat oil in a frying pan. Add the spices (cardamon,cloves and cinnamon), slit green chillies and onions.

Fry till onion turns golden brown and add chopped tomatoes. Stir till the tomatoes becomes pulpy and add dhania powder and mix well.

Add ground paste along with cooked vegetables, salt, turmeric and chilli powder

Cook till it becomes thick.

Add whipped curds and boil for a minute.

Remove from fire and stir in 1/2 cup milk.

Serve with idiyappam. This kurma can be paired with idli/dosas too.

Note: It tastes equally good if you omit the mixed vegetables. This makes a yummy side dish with only onions and tomatoes too.

My kurma goes to Srivalli's Curry Mela

The combo goes to WBB-Combi Breakfasts, hosted by Latha for the month of August.

Chocolate Moist Cake

Chocolate moist cake was one of the most frequent buying product from the "King of the Belgians Restaurant". I suppose its enchantment for those chocoholics is heaven!

I would normally leave the cake plain without any decoration but this time of year I must add something in order to look like a celebration cake for my friends birthday. I don't have any piping skills so I gave it a floral arrangements to produce a better look. However, the flowers is unedible, it's just for decoration.
The texture was very moist with rich chocolate flavor. Perhaps the instant coffee had enriched the cake flavor and it wasn't too sweet for the birthday girls.

Recipe for 8 inches cake tin:

Ingredients for the cake:

220g cake flour / 50g cocoa powder / 1 tsp baking powder / 1/2 tsp baking soda / 1/4 tsp salt / 190g butter / 280g sugar / 1 1/2 tsp vanilla / 3 large eggs / 250ml cold water / 1 tbsp instant coffee (dissolved with some water)

Ingredients for the chocolate fudge:

50g cocoa powder / 125ml water / 200ml evaporated milk / 100g sugar / 1/2 tsp salt / 1 tsp vanilla extract / 2 egg yolks / 60g cornflour / 1 tbsp instant coffee / 60g butter

Method for making the cake:

1. Beat the butter, gradually add in sugar then vanilla extract until the mixture become fluffy.


2. Add in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.


3. Add shifted dry ingredients and water alternately to beaten mixture and mix well till well combined.


4. Pour mixture into two 8 inches greased and lightly floured round baking pans.


5. Bake at 180'C for 20 - 25 minutes. (do not over cook in order to produce a moisture texture)

Method for Cooking the Fudge:

1. Mix everything in a double boiler and keep on stirring with a hand whisk until the mixture thickens.


2. Lastly add in the butter until a smooth consistency.


3. Spread 1/3 of the fudge on a piece of 8 inches moist cake then sandwich with another piece.


4. Gently spread the fudge on top and side of the cake.


5. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours then start your creative decoration.