Tamil Nadu style avial -With step by step and videos

Generally, the Tamil Nadu cuisine differs from other south Indian dishes. It has its own taste and aroma. When we talk about avial, it is believed that this beautiful and the most popular dish of South India has Tamil origin and it was adopted by other states including Kerala. Later this became one of the most popular dishes of our states, God's own country, Kerala.

Even after the same origin, the same dish shares so many similarities and dissimilarities. With same ingredients and method, the same dish is made differently. So I have already posted Kerala avial recipe previously. Just like in Kerala, the avial is made in Tamil Nadu either in thick or thin consistency. Today, I am trying to replicate the avial recipe, which I have tasted from here.

This is a gravy avial recipe, which we can be used as a accompaniment for both dosai and rice. You can use any vegetables of your choice but do remember to cook the hard vegetables separately or before cooking the softer once. The coconut making and tempering is also different from the Kerala avial. So Let us discuss the recipe and instruction of Tamil Nadu avial.

Tamil Nadu avial recipe | How to make Tamil Style Avial | How to make Tamil Nadu style mixed vegetable avial

Tamil style avial made with mixed vegetables and coconut

Preparation time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 20 minutes | Total time : 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 medium drumstick
1 small potato
1 small carrots
4 tender French beans
1/2 small raw banana
1 small brinjal
50 gram ash guard
50 gm yam
1/4 cup curd
1 tsp rice flour
1 spring curry leaves
Salt to taste
Water as needed

To grind

1 cup coconut
3 to 4 green chilies
1/2 tsp cumin seed
Water as needed

To temper

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 spring curry leaves
A generous pinch of asafoetida

How to make TamilNadu avial - video

Preparation of TamilNadu style vegetable avial with step by step photos

Wash and soak vegetables in fresh water for at least half an hour and wash thoroughly. Peel or scrape the skin of drumstick, potato, carrot and ash gourd. Then chop into finger sized small pieces. These veggies should be chopped in equal length. Slit ivy gourd into four. Remove the tips and strings of French beans and then chop into small pieces in the same size of vegetables.
Grind half of a small coconut and set aside.

Cooking instructions

Put yam and drumstick in a pan and put enough water.
Then keep on high flame till it boils, then reduce the flame to medium, cover the pan and cook for a few minutes till half done.
Once the vegetables are half cooked, you can add all the remaining vegetables and salt. The ash guard and brinjal has the lowest cooking point, if you want, you can add them when all the veggies are almost cooked. Also, remember to pour some water if needed.
While the vegetables are cooking, we can prepare the coconut paste. It is entirely different from the first three avials. Take coconut, green chilies and garlic in the chutney jar of mixer grinder. Put a half cup of water.
Then grind into a smooth paste. The paste should be pasted smoothly.
Check whether the vegetables are done by pressing a small piece between your fingers. I will suggest you to check yam as it has the highest cooking point among all other vegetables.
Transfer the coconut paste and put one teaspoon of rice flour. The use of rice flour is for thickening. If you are looking for a gravy avial, you can avoid that.
Put 1/2 cup of water into the mixer grinder, just mix well and pour that water into the curry. and let it cook covered on medium flame for two minutes till the raw smell of the masala leaves.
Then pour half cup of curd and mix well. When the gravy start to boil, switch off the flame.
Finally, prepare the tempering. Heat 1 tbsp of coconut oil in a small pan over medium flame, put mustard seeds. Once the crackling of mustard seeds over add one springs of curry leaves and followed by one generous pinch of asafoetida powder. Just give a gentle stir.
Transfer this on top of the avial and cover it with a lid. Keep this for a few minutes so that the curry get the flavours infused.