Adai, Aviyal & Pookolam

My friend Priyanka is hosting Festive Food Event - Onam this month.

Onam is the state festival of Kerala, South India. It is celebrated in honour of Mahabali, the mythical Asura king of ancient Kerala. This harvest festival falls in August / September.

For more information on Onam festival, please click here.

As promised her, I am submitting the recipe with the PooKolam too;) Pookolam are designs or decorations made with flowers and lamps in front of the houses to invite God. This is my first attempt to it. I couldn't get much flowers, so did it with Orchids and Marigolds. So have a look of it......

I never celebrated Onam, so tried to submit any dish from Kerala cuisine. Here is the famous Aviyal, which is the main dish in the Onam festival meal.

Ingredients:
Vegetables - 2 cups (Mix of carrots, drumsticks(moringa), pumpkin, snakegourd, bottlegourd, radish, raw bananas, beans, yam, etc - I used carrots, yam, beans, snake gourd, bottlegourd - cut into 2 inch long)
Small onions - 4-5
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Yoghurt (curd) - 1/2 cup
Green chillies - 4
Curry leaves - few
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Coconut oil or any oil - 1 tablespoon

Method:
Cook vegetables, 2 green chillies, turmeric powder in 1-2 cups of water, until they are soft.

Meanwhile, grind coconut, small onions, 2 chillies, cumin seeds to a fine paste with little water and keep aside.

Once veggies are cooked, add this paste, yoghurt, salt to taste and mix well.

Add water if the gravy is too thick. Put off the flame when it is about to boil.

Heat oil in a small pan and allow mustard seeds to splitter in it. Add curry leaves, fry for a minute and add this to the aviyal.

Aviyal can be had with rice or Paruppu Adai(Kind of pancake made with pulses or grains).

One more look with Adai:


Click here for Adai recipe.


Cooking time - 30 minutes
Serves 2-3 persons