A Kerala dish that has firmly established itself in Tamil Nadu cuisine is the creamy coconut and yogurt vegetable stew known as Avial or Aviyal. Surely not a rose, but an Aviyal by whatever name one calls it, smells as heavenly as it always does.
As Dekkani Muslims, my family's repertoire of recipes contains many saalans whose masalas need to be veritably cooked to death. The whole is then served up with 1 inch of the seasoned oil at the bottom of the serving bowl. My grandmother and her generation used to insist upon vast quantities of oil and ghee (clarified butter) being used when preparing special dishes. Sans the 1 inch of oil, the dish simply did not pass muster - no can do, Sirree!
Of course, Indians belonging to my Daadi's generation swore by their daily cuppa of ghee and its remedial, augmentative powers. At a time when air conditioners and the multitudes of cars were non-existent, when the daily repast contained simple foods, and when desserts and rich fare were reserved for very special occasions only...when even eggs were not consumed daily and doodh patti (tea brewed with milk and sugar) was not a daily feature but only served for the pleasure of special guests...it is understandable that the daily consumption of pure, unadulterated, home-made ghee fit into a holistic, organic, well-balanced active lifestyle.
Of course, as we progressed into the 1980s and after, a more sedentary and pampered lifestyle resulted in Indians becoming most susceptible to heart disease and diabetes. In the United States, the onset of industrialization and the development of towns without sidewalks (Bill Bryson - 'The Lost Continent: Travels in Small Town America') has led to a 'horizontal expansion' of sorts out here as well.
But back to Aviyal - here's how to cook it in a jiffy - much faster than Meenakshi Ammal would have me do in her 'Samaithu Paar' (roughly translated from Tamizh as "Try these recipes and see for yourself").
Aviyal (AA's style):
1. Boil about 1 pound of vegetables till just done. Drain and keep aside.
The vegetables traditionally used are - potatoes/carrot/radish/yam (sliced into 1 inch sticks, about 1 cm thick), peas (snow peas are great too), beans (cut into 1 inch long bits), cauliflower (the florets should be bite sized, about an inch square, stem in place).
You don't need to use ALL the above, but if you have some 3-4 of them, it still looks and tastes great.
I usually do the potatoes, carrots, peas, and cauliflower together, as my sons love these vegetables and there's always a stock in the fridge.
If you are using yam, boil it seperately and keep it aside.
As for the other vegetables, boil the carrots first, and when they are 1/4th done, add the potatoes, and then the rest halfway through. Do not overcook till mushy. The vegetables should be firm enough to keep their shape and still yield against the palate.
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2. Next, roughly chop 1 onion and dunk it into your food processor with 1 cup grated coconut (if I have none fresh or frozen, I just opt for the dessicated variety on my baking shelf). Process till pureed.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons edible coconut oil in a medium-sized stock pot. Saute the pureed onion-coconut in the oil till the onion has cooked. Add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 2 chopped green chillies, some curry leaves, stirring for 1-2 minutes.
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4. Turn off the flame, and stir in 2 cups whipped thick Indian yogurt (whole milk, natural - without flavor additives). Then add the boiled vegetables and stir them in, taking care not to break them up or mash them up. The idea is to relish the vegetables in a refreshing creamy, yogurt curried sauce. Don't boil the yogurt at any point. If you need to warm the leftovers, just heat over a stove until warm enough, but not boiling.
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5. Serve with plain rice or Puliyogare (tamarind rice). Fried chicken or fish partners well with this dish.
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As Dekkani Muslims, my family's repertoire of recipes contains many saalans whose masalas need to be veritably cooked to death. The whole is then served up with 1 inch of the seasoned oil at the bottom of the serving bowl. My grandmother and her generation used to insist upon vast quantities of oil and ghee (clarified butter) being used when preparing special dishes. Sans the 1 inch of oil, the dish simply did not pass muster - no can do, Sirree!
Of course, Indians belonging to my Daadi's generation swore by their daily cuppa of ghee and its remedial, augmentative powers. At a time when air conditioners and the multitudes of cars were non-existent, when the daily repast contained simple foods, and when desserts and rich fare were reserved for very special occasions only...when even eggs were not consumed daily and doodh patti (tea brewed with milk and sugar) was not a daily feature but only served for the pleasure of special guests...it is understandable that the daily consumption of pure, unadulterated, home-made ghee fit into a holistic, organic, well-balanced active lifestyle.
Of course, as we progressed into the 1980s and after, a more sedentary and pampered lifestyle resulted in Indians becoming most susceptible to heart disease and diabetes. In the United States, the onset of industrialization and the development of towns without sidewalks (Bill Bryson - 'The Lost Continent: Travels in Small Town America') has led to a 'horizontal expansion' of sorts out here as well.
But back to Aviyal - here's how to cook it in a jiffy - much faster than Meenakshi Ammal would have me do in her 'Samaithu Paar' (roughly translated from Tamizh as "Try these recipes and see for yourself").
Aviyal (AA's style):
1. Boil about 1 pound of vegetables till just done. Drain and keep aside.
The vegetables traditionally used are - potatoes/carrot/radish/yam (sliced into 1 inch sticks, about 1 cm thick), peas (snow peas are great too), beans (cut into 1 inch long bits), cauliflower (the florets should be bite sized, about an inch square, stem in place).
You don't need to use ALL the above, but if you have some 3-4 of them, it still looks and tastes great.
I usually do the potatoes, carrots, peas, and cauliflower together, as my sons love these vegetables and there's always a stock in the fridge.
If you are using yam, boil it seperately and keep it aside.
As for the other vegetables, boil the carrots first, and when they are 1/4th done, add the potatoes, and then the rest halfway through. Do not overcook till mushy. The vegetables should be firm enough to keep their shape and still yield against the palate.
2. Next, roughly chop 1 onion and dunk it into your food processor with 1 cup grated coconut (if I have none fresh or frozen, I just opt for the dessicated variety on my baking shelf). Process till pureed.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons edible coconut oil in a medium-sized stock pot. Saute the pureed onion-coconut in the oil till the onion has cooked. Add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 2 chopped green chillies, some curry leaves, stirring for 1-2 minutes.
4. Turn off the flame, and stir in 2 cups whipped thick Indian yogurt (whole milk, natural - without flavor additives). Then add the boiled vegetables and stir them in, taking care not to break them up or mash them up. The idea is to relish the vegetables in a refreshing creamy, yogurt curried sauce. Don't boil the yogurt at any point. If you need to warm the leftovers, just heat over a stove until warm enough, but not boiling.
5. Serve with plain rice or Puliyogare (tamarind rice). Fried chicken or fish partners well with this dish.
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