Nimmy Paul says you can vary the vegetables you use in this Avial dish but it should always contain a starch like yam or potato. Plus, a soft vegetable like a raw green banana or plantain and a green vegetable.
Enjoy this bright and colourful dish as a side or on its own with appams (fermented rice and dal crepes). If you enjoy this dish, we think you’d also enjoy Nimmy Paul’s Chemeen and Fish Molee.
Avial Recipe
Yields 6 Servings
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cooking Time 20 minutes
Total 60 minutes
Ingredients
For the vegetables:
1 green raw banana or plantain
1 red onion, sliced thinly lenghtwise
2 green chilies
water
2 carrots, julienned
2 tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
1 cup pumpkin, julienned (use something firm like butternut squash)
2 cups snake gourd, julienned (may substitute green beans or snow peas)
1 tsp salt
2 cups eggplant, julienned
1 sprig fresh curry leaves (20 or so)
For the coconut paste:
2 cups of grated coconut
3 shallots – quartered
1 green chili (jalapeno or long green)
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
pinch turmeric
1 sprig fresh curry leaves (20 or so)
To finish:
1 Tablespoon of coconut oil
Method
Heat a wok on medium heat and add the bananas, onion and chillies with enough water to cover them and bring to a boil.
Tip: You cook these first, as they are the hardest of the vegetables. Add the remaining vegetables in order of how long they will take to become fork tender. This way no vegetable becomes soggy and overdone by the time you are ready to serve the dish.
Add the carrots and cook 2 minutes, then the pumpkin and snake gourd in 2 minute intervals.
Add the eggplant and tomatoes for the final 2 minutes.
Then add the curry leaves, turn the heat off and cover with a lid.
Make the coconut paste by placing the grated coconut, shallots, chili, cumin seeds, turmeric and curry leaves in the bowl of a food processor and pulsing them until a coarse paste is formed.
Finish the dish by first making a well in the center of the vegetables in the wok. Add the coconut paste in the well and then pull the vegetables up and over the mound of coconut paste and drizzle the dish with the Tablespoon of coconut oil just before serving.
Thanks for trying this facesplacesandplates.com recipe.
2 comments on “Nimmy Paul’s Avial”
The recipe for coconut paste is not included. Can you please add it.
How great to hear from you. Thank you for catching this. Pauli-Ann and I truly appreciate it. I have updated the recipe and added the missing ingredients to the list. I hope it turns out very well for you.
The recipe for coconut paste is not included. Can you please add it.
Hi Carol,
How great to hear from you. Thank you for catching this. Pauli-Ann and I truly appreciate it. I have updated the recipe and added the missing ingredients to the list. I hope it turns out very well for you.
With gratitude,
Karen