Kerala Puli Avial - Onam Sadhya Recipe

Avial is one of my favourite kerala onam sadhya recipe and usually prepared with seasonal vegetables. Its a integral part of kerala cuisine prepared as a side for everyday meals or on special occasions and festivals like onam and vishu. Mixed vegetables are cooked in coconut and tamarind gravy .Any vegetable can be used but i avoid bell peppers.

Vegetables - 250 gms , cut into 2'' X 0.25 '' strips
(Potato, Carrots,Squash, Ivy Gourd, Lauki, Drumstick,Colocasia/Chemb, ElephantYam/Chena,French Beans,Long Beans ,  use all or as many you have)).
Fresh Coconut  - 1/4 cup , grated
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Green Chili - 2
Cumin - 1/4 tsp 
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Thin Tamarind Water - 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Virgin Coconut Oil - 1 tbsp

Grind coconut , cumin , chili , turmeric and salt and coarsely and keep aside.
Cook vegetables in tamarind water .
When vegetables are cooked add the coconut mixture and curry leaves.
Mix everything well together and simmer for 5 minutes.
Finish with coconut oil and serve.

Gongura Pickle

Gongura is most popular in Andra Pradesh cuisine but states like Manipur , Tripura and Mizoram too uses it. Gongura comes in two varieties, green stemmed leaf and red stemmed. The red stemmed variety is more sour than the green stemmed variety. Gongura is considred a rich source of Iron and folic acid. Befroe coming across this recipe i used to buy gongura pickle from market but now i enjoy homemade  pickle and always has a batch in my refrigerator. This is yet another recipe from "Cooking at home with pedatha" . I have reduced the original recipe ingredients to  half.

Gongura leaves-  3 cup chopped
Oil - 1 cup
Salt to taste.

1st Tempering
Mustards seeds - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
Red Chillies - 6
Green Chillies - 2
Curry Leaves - 5-6
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp

2nd Tempering
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seds - 1/4 tsp
Red Chillies - 2
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Garlic - 6-8

      1. Heat half oil and cook the gongura leaves till oil sepearates.
      2. 1st tempering
               Add mustard and let it pop and add fenugreek.
               Let it turn brown and add red chillies.
               Now add curry leaves , coriander and asafoetida.
     3. Allow the tempering to cool and grind it coarsely.
     4. Add the cooked gongura and grind it coarsely.
     5. 2nd tempering
              Heat remaining oil .
              Add mustard and let it pop and add fenugreek.
              Let it turn brown and add red chillies and garlic
     6. Pour the tempering over the ground gongura mixture .

     7. Serve with steamed rice and ghee :).