Avial (Vegetable Stew )

Kootu is a lentil and vegetable dish, particularly in Tamil and Kerala cuisines. The etymology for kootu is derived from the Tamil word “kootu” which means “add” i.e. vegetable added with lentils form the dish, which is semi-solid in consistency. Like the curd or moru based dishes, kootu are also side dishes, similar to dhal fry, pachadi and curry, sometimes devoid of the tangy or sourness of tamarind or curds. Kootu is a tasty side dish as well as a very healthy food.

The dish is noted for its nutty and complex flavors and textures, owing to the liberal addition of lentils and coconuts. It is typically less watery than sambhar, but more so than dry stir-fries. All kootus by default have some vegetables and lentils, but many variations of kootu exist.

? Poricha Kootu: A kootu made with urad dhal and pepper is called poricha (means “fried” in Tamil) kootu. Fried urad dhal, pepper, few red chilies, some cumin and fresh coconut are ground together. Moong dhal and the cut vegetables are cooked separately. Then, the ground paste, cooked vegetables and moong dhal are mixed and heated. Vegetables such as beans and snake gourd are common ingredients in this kootu.

? Araichivita Kootu: A kootu which has a powdered (freshly ground) masala in it; the word araichivita in Tamil literally translates to “the one which has been ground and poured.” The ground paste is a mixture of fried urad dal, cumin seeds and coconut.

? Araichivita Sambar: The chopped vegetables and toor dhal are cooked separately. Then, the ground paste, cooked vegetables and dal are heated together to which a ground paste of coconut, Bengal gram, coriander, red chilies, a few pepper corns, a piece of cinnamon is added. The dish is completed with a seasoning of mustard.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koottu

Avial (Stew ) : It is a thick mixture of vegetables and coconut seasoned with coconut oil and curry leaves. Avial is considered an essential part of Keralite vegetarian feast.

1. Take all the vegetables and remove the skin and seeds, cut into small pieces and add to a lead coated vessel. Take the salt, red chilly, turmeric powder and grind these nicely into a paste and add it to the cut vegetables.

2. Add water enough to cover them and bring to boil and allow to thicken. Mix water and tamarind and extract the juice after removing the fibres and skin, if any.

3. Add the tamarind juice to the vegetables and allow it to become thick. Shred the coconut, mix with green chilli, cumin seeds and grind into a nice paste.

4. Mix the above paste with ¼ padi sour curd and when it boils add a bunch of curry leaves. Add Coconut oil and mix this with avail and serve.

5. This avial can be prepared with any available vegetable.

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