Melange of vegetables in creamy coconut sauce – Aviyal for others

Background:

I had half a green plantain, left overs from frozen packs of Desi veggies like cut yam, senai kizhangu and quarter red pumpkin. With almost all veggies that go well in aviyal, I could not let the opportunity pass and I made this today morning with thakkali rasam.

The natural sweetness from the root vegetables, the firm succulent flesh of chayote and red pumpkin simmered in a creamy coconut sauce brings out the rare melange of tastes that make aviyal good as a side or just a dish by itself.

Stuff you will need:

Carrot – 1
Potato – 1 small
Yam – About a quarter
Red pumpkin – About a quarter
White pumpkin – About a quarter
Chayote – 1 small
String beans – a handful
Green peas – a handful
Green plantain – 1/2 if big else 1 small
All the above veggies to be cut into inch long strips
Coconut – scrapings from 1/2 small
cumin seeds – 2 tsp
Green chillies – 4
Curry leaves – 2 sprigs, washed and cut
Coconut oil/Ghee – 1 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Butter milk or curds – 3 tablespoons
Salt to taste
Turmeric – 1 pinch
Asafoetida – 1 pinch

How to make it?

Pressure cook vegetables with a hint of turmeric and salt. Grind coconut with green chillies and cumin seeds into a fine paste with little water. Mix paste into curds and set aside. When vegetables are done cooking mix the curd coconut sauce into it and turn while simmering on low medium heat. Turn heat off in five minutes. Garnish with mustard seeds and asafoetida tempered in ghee or coconut oil. Mix curry leaves in.

Serve warm with rice or adai.

Serves four

Special Notes:

I love eating aviyal as is. It is versatile and goes well with rotis as well.