Avial

Avial is a popular traditional dish from Kerala. It is a mixed vegetable curry cooked with coconut and yogurt. The main ingredients in avial are typically a variety of vegetables like carrots, beans, drumsticks, raw banana, yam, and pumpkin.

To prepare avial, the vegetables are cut into long pieces and cooked with turmeric, green chilies, and curry leaves. A coconut paste is added and the dish is seasoned with coconut oil to enhance the flavor.

It is one of the main dishes in a Kerala sadya. A sadya is a traditional feast served on a banana leaf during special occasions, festivals and weddings. With Onam festival around the corner, try this easy to make and healthy mixed vegetable avial. 

Ingredients:

• Raw banana
• Yam
• Carrots
• Beans
• Drumsticks
• Winter melon
• Pumpkin 
• Coconut grated - 1 cup
• Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Green chilies - 3-4 
• Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
• Yogurt - 1 cup
• Coconut oil - 1 tablespoon
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Cut the vegetables in 3 inches by 1 inch long slices. Take equal quantities of each of these vegetables mentioned in the ingredients list and make sure they come up to 3 cups in total. 
2. Add the cut vegetables in a large pot and add 1/2 cup of water, sliced green chilies, turmeric powder, curry leaves and salt. 
3. Cover and cook the vegetables until well done. Stir occasionally and sprinkle water if required. 
4. Grind the grated coconut along with a teaspoon of cumin seeds into a coarse paste.
5. Add this paste to the cooked vegetables and stir well. Cover and cook on low flame for another 5 minutes.
6. Turn off the stove and add a cup of yogurt. Finally add a tablespoon of coconut oil and few more curry leaves. Delicious avial is ready to serve. 

"Shhhhh Cooking Secretly" is a monthly challenge in the Facebook group. At the beginning of the month, a theme is chosen by one of the participants and all the participants are grouped in pairs. The participants will exchange 2 secret ingredients with their partners who are supposed to prepare a dish that matches the theme of that month.

This month's theme is "Sadya" and it was chosen by Priya Vijaykrishnan. She made a kichadi with okra. Check out the recipe for the same in her blog 'Sweet Spicy Tasty'. My partner for this month is Mayuri. She gave me cumin seeds and coconut oil as my secret ingredients. I gave her mustard seeds and curry leaves as her ingredients. She made a very refreshing cucumber raita - Vellirikka Kichadi.

Mushroom Thoran | Koon thoran

Ingredients:

1. Mushroom - 250 gms
2. Onion - 1 medium
3. Green chillies - 1 or as per your spice level
4. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
5. Coconut grated - 1 handful
6. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
7. Dried red chillies - 1
8. Garlic cloves - 3
9. Coconut oil - 1 tablespoon
10. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash and cut mushrooms into small pieces.
2. Heat a pan with coconut oil and splutter mustard seeds.
3. Add red chilly, green chillies, curry leaves and crushed garlic.
4. Add finely chopped onion and saute till onons turn translucent.
5. Add finely chopped mushrooms and salt to taste.
6. Cook until the water from the mushrooms evaporates.
7. Add grated coconut and mix well.

Mushroom stir fry with coconut is ready to serve. It can be served along with chapathi/rice.

Long Beans Stir Fry | Pacha Payar thoran - Kerala style

Ingredients:

1. Long beans/Yard long beans - 250 gms
2. Onion - 1 small
3. Dried red chilies - 2-3
4. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
5. Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
6. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
7. Coconut oil - 2 teaspoon
8. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
9. Garlic cloves - 2
10. Salt to taste

Method:

1.  Wash and cut long beans into small pieces.
2. Heat 2 teaspoon oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.
3. Add dried red chilies, curry leaves and chopped onions. Saute for a minute.
4. Add cut long beans, turmeric powder, salt and 1/2 cup water.
5. Cover and cook for around 10 minutes until the beans are well done.
6. Meanwhile, take grated coconut and garlic in a mixer and just pulse it couple of times.
7. Add the coconut to the long beans and mix well. If there is any water left, leave it uncovered for the water to evaporate. Turn off heat once all the water has evaporated.

Serve as a side dish for steamed rice.

Easy Egg Bhurji | Easy Mutta Thoran

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1. Egg - 3
2. Onion - 1 small
3. Tomato- 1 medium
4. Green chillies - 2 or as per spice level
5. Cilantro - 3 sprig
6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
7. Salt to taste
8. Oil - 1 tablespoon

Method:

1. Take roughly chopped onion, tomato, green chillies and  cilantro in a mixer/blender. Pulse it couple of times.
2. Add eggs, salt and turmeric powder and pulse for few seconds.
3. Heat a pan on medium flame and add oil. When the oil is hot, pour the egg mixture and stir occasionally.
4. Stir until eggs are cooked. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Batata Kapa | Potato Rava Fry

Batata Kapa is a Goan style preparation of potatoes  and it is one of the easiest accompaniment to rice. It is made by shallow frying the potatoes coated with rava. It is very easy to make and it can be made with ingredients readily available in any household.

Ingredients:
1. Potato - 2 medium sized
2. Semolina/Rava - 1/4 cup
3. Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
4. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
5. Salt as per taste
6. Oil - 2 tablespoon

Method:

1. Wash and scrape off the skin of potatoes. Cut them in thin slices and soak in water to avoid discoloration.
2. In a plate, add rava, salt, turmeric powder and chilli powder and mix well.
3. Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a pan for pan frying.
4. Take each piece of potato from water and pat dry on a kitchen towel. Coat both sides of the slice with rava mixture and pan fry in hot oil. Cover and cook each side on medium flame until the potato slices are well done.

Linking this recipe to "Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge", event. For the month of February, the theme is to make a Goan cuisine. I am paired up with Priya Iyer who gave me potato and rava as my secret ingredients, and I chose these ingredients to make Batata Kapa
Priya blogs at "The World Through My Eyes".

Ulli Theeyal | Kerala style Pearl Onion curry

Ulli Theeyal is made of pearl onions/shallots in a tangy coconut based gravy. This is served with steamed rice.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1. Pearl Onions/Shallots - 1 cup
2. Coconut grated - 1 cup
3. Coriander seeds - 2 tablespoon
4. Whole dried red chillies - 2 or as per your spice level
5. Curry Leaves - 2 sprigs
6. Turmeric Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
7. Tamarind - one gooseberry sized
8. Mustard Seeds - 1 teaspoon
9. Fenugreek Seeds - a pinch
10. Salt to taste
11. Coconut oil - 2 tablespoon

Method:

1.  Dry roast coconut, coriander seeds and dried red chillies until coconut turns dark brown in colour. Switch off the flame and add turmeric powder.

2. Grind the roast coconut mixture into a fine paste by adding a tablespoon of water and set aside.

3. Soak tamarind in a cup of water. Squeeze out the pulp and set aside.

4. Heat a vessel and add tablespoon of oil. Add sliced shallots and 1 sprig of curry leaves. Sauté until onions turn translucent.

5. Add tamarind pulp, coconut paste and salt to taste to it and cover and cook for 10 mins. Turn off the flame

6. Heat a small saucepan and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Splutter mustard seeds and add fenugreek seeds and 1 sprig of curry leaves. Add this seasoning into curry.

Curry is ready to serve with hot steaming rice.

Note: 

Dry roast coconut on medium flame with continuous stirring to avoid burning.

Cheera Thoran | Amaranth Leaves Stir Fry

Ingredients:
1. Amaranth Leaves(Avare Soppu in Kannada) - 2 bunches
2. Onion - 1 medium
3. Garlic cloves - 4-5
4. Dried red chilli - 2
5. Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
6. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
7. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
8. Oil - 1 tablespoon
9. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Clean and wash amaranth leaves along with the stem. We just need to remove the stem just above the roots which will be very fibrous. Finely chop the leaves.

2. Heat oil in a wide vessel and splutter mustard seeds. Add finely chopped onion and dried red chillies and saute till onion turn translucent.

3. Add finely chopped leaves, salt and turmeric powder. Cover and cook on low flame for 5-7 minutes.

4. Add grated coconut, mix well and turn off the flame.

Serve as a side dish with rice.

Green Amaranth Leaves

Idichakka Thoran | Tender Jackfruit Stir Fry

Ingredients:
1. Idichakka/ Tender Jackfruit - 1 small size
2. Coconut grated - 1 cup
3. Shallots - 1/2 cup
4. Garlic - 2 cloves
5. Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1 teaspoon
6. Curry leaves - few
7. Green chilly - 1 or as per your spice level
8. Dried red chillies - 2
9. Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
10. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
11. Salt to taste
12. Coconut oil - 1 tablespoon

Method:
1. Remove the skin of Jackfruit and cut into 2 inch pieces. Wash the cut pieces and pressure cook with 1 cup water, turmeric powder and salt to taste for 2 whistles.

2. Meanwhile grind grated coconut, garlic, green chillies and cumin seeds without adding water.

3. Drain any water left in cooked Jackfruit and mash with potato masher. You can also pulse it in blender for 2-3 seconds. We don't need to grind the jackfruit instead just need to shred them.

4. Heat coconut oil in a large pan. Splutter mustard seeds and add curry leaves and red chillies.

5. Add sliced shallots and fry till they turn translucent. Then add ground coconut mixture and saute for couple of minutes.

6. Finally add jackfruit and give it a good mix. Check for seasoning and add salt if required. Cover and cook on low flame for 5 more minutes.

Kerala style Idichakka thoran is ready to serve and it is best served as a side dish for rice.

Pacha Manga Kichadi | Mango Kichadi

Kichadi is a Kerala dish made with one kind of vegetable in a yogurt based gravy. Vegetables that can be used include cucumber, mango, winter melon, okra/lady's finger and even pineapple.

Unlike kichadi, pachadi is made in a coconut-yogurt based gravy.  Some of the pachadi recipes in my blog:
Kumbalanga Pachadi 

Cucumber Pachadi

Vellirikka Pachadi

Kichadi and Pachadi are often served as part of Kerala Sadya.

Ingredients:
1. Raw Mango - 1 medium
2. Yogurt - 1 cup
3. Ginger grated - 1/2 teaspoon
4. Green chillies - 1 or 2
5. Curry leaves - few
6. Fenugreek seeds - 1/8 teaspoon
7. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
8. Dried red chillies - 2
9. Oil - 1 teaspoon
10. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Wash and cut mango into small pieces.

2. Take a saucepan and add cut mangoes,  grated ginger, slit green chillies, salt to taste and 1 cup of water. Cook until mangoes are soft and well cooked.

3. Once the mango is well done, turn off the stove and allow it to cool. Add a cup of yogurt and mix well.

4. Heat oil in a small pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add dried red  chillies, curry leaves and fenugreek seeds. Add this seasoning to cooked mango mixture and mango kichadi is ready to serve.

Linking this recipe to "Shh Cooking Secretly Challenge", a monthly event started by Priya and now being managed by Mayuri.

The theme for the month of May is Mango along with 2 ingredients. I am paired with Rafeeda of The Big Sweet Tooth  who gave me Yogurt and ginger as secret ingredients and I decided to make this mango kichadi.

Cucumber Pachadi

Ingredients:
1. Cucumber- 1 small sized
2. Coconut grated - 1/2 cup
3. Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
4. Green chilli - 1
5. Dried red chilli - 1
6. Curry leaves - few
7. Yogurt/Curd - 1 cup
8. Oil - 1 teaspoon
9. Salt to taste

Method:
1, Wash the cucumber, remove seeds and cut into small pieces. Transfer cucumber in a mixing bowl.

2. Grind coconut and green chilli into a fine paste. Roughly crush 1/2 teaspoon of mustard seeds. Add this coconut paste, crushed mustard, yogurt and salt to cucumber and mix thoroughly.

3. For seasoning, heat oil in a pan and splutter 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds. Add dried red chilli and curry leaves. Transfer this seasoning to pachadi and serve.

Beetroot Leaves Stir Fry | Beet Greens Stir Fry | Beetroot Ela Thoran

Ingredients:

1. Beet greens - 1 bunch

2. Onion - 1 small sized

3. Coconut - 1/4 cup grated

4. Cumin seeds - 1/4 teaspoon

5. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

6. Garlic - 1 clove

7. Green chillies - 1 or 2 

8. Oil - 1 teaspoon

9. Salt to taste

Beet Greens

Method:

1. Wash the beet leaves(including the stem) and chop them finely. 

2. Take coconut, cumin seeds, garlic and green chillies in a mixer and pulse for few seconds to make a coarse mixture.

3. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.

4. Add finely chopped onions and saute for a minute.

5. Add finely chopped greens and salt to taste. Cover and cook for couple of minutes. 

6. Add coarse coconut mixture and mix well. Cook for couple of minutes and now it is ready to serve. 

Serve as a side dish for rice. 

Avoli Curry | Pomfret Fish Curry

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1. Avoli/Pomfret - 6-7 pieces
2. Onion - 1 medium
3. Tomato - 1 medium
4. Ginger minced - 1 teaspoon
5. Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
7. Green chillies - 2 or as per spice level
8. Tamarind - 1 small lemon sized piece
9. Coconut grated - 1 cup
10.Coconut oil - 1 tablespoon
11. Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
12. Curry leaves - few
13. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Soak tamarind in 1 cup water and extract pulp and keep it aside.

2. Clean and wash the fish. Grind coconut with little water into a fine paste and keep it aside.

3. In a pan preferably mann chatti/earthen pot, add tamarind extract, finely chopped onions, chopped tomato, minced ginger, slit green chillies, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste.

4. Bring it to boil and cook until onions turn soft and translucent.

5. Now add fish and cook until fish is well done.

6. Add coconut paste and bring it to boil and turn off the stove.

7. For seasoning, heat a small pan and add a tablespoon of coconut oil. Splutter mustard seeds and add curry leaves to it. Add this to curry and serve hot with steam rice.

Netholi Curry | Anchovy Fish Curry

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1. Netholi/Anchovy - 250 gms
2. Onion - 1 medium
3. Tomato - 1 medium
4. Ginger minced - 1 teaspoon
5. Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
7. Green chillies - 2 or as per spice level
8. Tamarind - 1 small lemon sized piece
9. Coconut grated - 1 cup
10.Coconut oil - 1 tablespoon
11. Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
12. Curry leaves - few
13. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Soak tamarind in 1 cup water and extract pulp and keep it aside.

2. Clean and wash the fish. Grind coconut with little water into a fine paste and keep it aside.

3. In a pan preferably mann chatti/earthen pot, add tamarind extract, finely chopped onions, chopped tomato, minced ginger, slit green chillies, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste.

4. Bring it to boil and cook until onions turn soft and translucent.

5. Now add fish and cook until fish is well done.

6. Add coconut paste and bring it to boil and turn off the stove.

7. For seasoning, heat a small pan and add a tablespoon of coconut oil. Splutter mustard seeds and add curry leaves to it. Add this to curry and serve hot with steam rice.

Ayala Mulakittathu | Mackerel Fish Curry

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1. Ayala meen/Mackerel - 2 medium sized
2. Onion - 1 small
3. Tomato - 1 small
4. Garlic - 4-5 cloves
5. Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
6. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
7. Fenugreek powder - 2 pinches
8. Tamarind - 1 small lemon sized piece
9. Coconut oil - 3 teaspoon
10. Curry leaves - few
11. Green chillies - 1-2
11. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Soak tamarind in 1 cup water and extract pulp and keep it aside.

2. Clean and wash the fishes and cut into pieces.

3. In a pan preferably mann chatti/earthen pot, add tamarind extract, finely chopped onions, tomato, slit green chillies, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste.

4. Bring it to boil and cook until onions turn soft and translucent.

5. Now add fish pieces and cook until fish is well done.

6. Add fenugreek powder, curry leaves, crushed garlic and coconut oil and turn off the stove.

7. Cover and keep for 5 minutes before serving.

Shrimp Roast | Chemmeen Roast

Ingredients:
1. Shrimp/Chemmeen/Prawns (shelled and deveined) - 250 gms
2. Onion - 1
3. Curry leaves - 2 twigs
4. Grated coconut - 1 cup
5. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
6. Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon or as per spice level
7. Coconut oil - 2 tablespoon
8. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Wash the shelled and deveined shrimp in water and keep it aside.

2. Take 2 tablespoon of oil in a pan and turn on the stove. Add finely chopped onions and saute until they turn soft and translucent.

3. Add shrimp, salt to taste, turmeric powder and red chilli powder and fry until shrimp is well cooked.

4. Add curry leaves and grated coconut, mix well and turn off the stove.

Spinach Rice | Palak Pulao

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1. Long grain rice - 1 cup
2. Spinach -2 cups packed
3. Onion - 1 medium
4. Cilantro - a handful
5. Mint leaves/Pudina -  a handful
6. Green chillies - 2
7. Cloves - 2-3
8. Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
9. Cardamom - 1
10. Oil - 2 tablespoon
11. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Make a fine paste of spinach, cilantro, mint leaves and green chillies and keep it aside.

2. Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a pan and add cloves, cinnamon and cardamom and fry for few seconds.

3. Add thinly sliced onions and saute until they turn translucent.

4. Add spinach paste and salt to taste and cook for 5 minutes.

5. Add washed rice and 2 cups of water.

6. If you wish to cook rice in rice cooker, transfer it at this stage or you can continue to cook in a open vessel on low-medium flame.

Coconut Rice

Serves: 2

Ingredients: 

1. Rice(Sona Masoori/ Basmathi) -1 cup

2. Coconut(grated) - 1/2 cup

3. Peanuts - 2 tablespoon

4. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

5. Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

6. Dried red chillies - 2-3

7. Oil - 1 tablespoon

8. Salt to taste

9. Cilantro for garnishing

Method:

1. Wash and boil rice with 2 cups of water and keep it aside.

2. In a large saucepan, heat a tablespoon of oil and splutter mustard seeds.

3. Add cumin seeds and peanuts and saute until peanuts turn brown in color.

4. Add dried red chillies and salt to taste and turn the heat to low.

5. Add cooked rice and coconut and mix well. Turn off the heat and garnish with cilantro.

Egg Omelette

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1. Eggs - 3
2. Onion - 1 large
3. Green chillies - 1-2
4. Curry leaves - few
5. Oil - 1 teaspoon
6. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl.

2. Add finely chopped onions, green chillies, curry leaves and salt to taste. Mix well.

3. Heat a large pan and add a teaspoon of oil.

4. Add the egg mixture and cook covered on both sides on low-medium flame.

Enjoy these very basic and easy to make egg omelette for breakfast or as a side dish for rice.

Salmon Curry

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1. Salmon - 4-5 pieces
2. Onion - 1 medium
3. Tomato - 1 medium
4. Garlic - 3-4 cloves
5. Red chilli powder - 1-2 teaspoon
6. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
7. Fenugreek powder - 2 pinches
8. Tamarind - 1 small lemon sized piece
9. Coconut oil - 3 teaspoon
10. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Soak tamarind in 1 cup water and extract pulp and keep it aside.

2. Clean and wash the salmon pieces.

3. Heat 2 teaspoon of oil in a pan and fry finely chopped onion until soft and translucent.

4. Add finely chopped tomatoes and fry until soft and mushy.

5. Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, fenugreek powder and salt.

6. Add tamarind pulp and fish pieces. Cook for around 15 minutes until fish is well cooked.

7. Finally add crushed garlic and 1 teaspoon of coconut oil and turn off the heat.

Brown Rice Puliyogare

Brown Rice Puliyogare - does it sound very healthy? Yes of-course but believe me this tastes real good as well. You can use the refrigerated puliyogare mix or make the mix instantly. In this recipe, I have used the instant version. If you wish to make the mix in bulk and store it, I have the recipe here.

Serves: 2

Ingredients: 

1. Brown sona masoori rice - 1 cup

2. Tamarind pulp thick - 2 tablespoon

3. Mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
4. Asafoetida/hing - a pinch
5. Green Chilli - 1 (optional)
6. Dried red chilli - 1-2
7. Curry leaves - few
8. Peanuts - a handful
9. Urad dal split - 1/2 teaspoon(optional)
10. Chana dal - 1/2 teaspoon(optional)
11. Turmeric powder - 1/8 teaspoon
12. Rasam powder - 1 teaspoon
13. Jaggery grated - 1 teaspoon
14. Oil - 2 teaspoon

15. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Cook brown rice as per the instructions given here and keep it aside.

2. Next we need to make the instant puliyogare mix. For this, heat oil in a pan on medium heat and splutter mustard seeds.

3.  Add peanuts and stir them till they start to brown.

4. Add asafoetida, turmeric powder, dried red chillies, curry leaves, urad dal, chana dal and slit green chilli. Fry until chana dal turns light brown in color.

5. Add the tamarind pulp, jaggery and salt and allow it to simmer for couple of minutes.

6. Add rasam powder and stir thoroughly. Puliyogare mix is ready.

7. Mix rice with puliyogare.

Serve with yogurt.