Kerala Avial (II)

My friend Mrs.Priya Anand gave me the recipe to do this kerala Aviyal.
Before hand I was trying a different version .I used to add coconut milk and do some tempering at the end. Then , I learnt that Keralites do not temper their aviyal. So I tried it this way and it tastes awesome.

Ingredients:
White pumkin - 100 gms
Yellow pumkin - 100 gms
1-Raw banana (vazhakai)
1-Potato
1-Podalangai (snake gourd)
1-carrot
chenai - 100 gms (Indian yam)( I have not seen it at the grocery, frozen is available though- you can skip)
10 strings beans
1 drumstick
2 cups-yogurt (thick should not be watery)
1 cup-coconut
green chillies 6-8 (as per taste)
curry leaves (karugapalai)
coconut oil-2 tablespoon
turmeric
salt

Method:
Cut all the vegetable in one and a half inch long thin strips (like finger chips) Add pumpkin as per required quantity after putting all the other vegetables depending on how much you need. Boil the vegetables with turmeric and salt. When the vegetables are almost cooked drain out the excess water. Add the yogurt and let it come to a boil so that the yogurt is mixed well with the vegetables. Mix carefully as the vegetables may break. Grind the coconut and chillies to a fine paste. You can add the water from the boiled vegetables and grind to a thick paste. Do not add too much water. Add this paste bring it to a boil. Turn off the gas and add curry leave and coconut oil and mix well.

Serving suggestions:
Serve with rice , rasam and papadam.It can also be served with chapathi , naan , adai etc.

Sodhi

Sodhi is one of the unique and popular dishes in Tirunelveli.Sodhi is otherwise called Thengaipal kulambu / coconut milk stew. Sothi is a delicious gravy made of coconut milk and vegetables. This is served at marriage feasts, especially during the Maruveedu (return marriage) ceremony which takes place the day after a marriage.
Sodhi is a heavy dish so it is generally consumed as lunch only.
I used a thick coconut milk from can. But if you wish to extract the coconut milk then you may need 1/2 of a big coconut.Extract milk three times and keep the first thick milk separate and add it in the last step. Mix the 2 nd and 3 rd extracts and use it to cook the vegetables.
Stick to the recipe to get the perfect 'sodhi'.
(source - my Rukmani aunty)

Ingredients:
Coconut milk (canned) - 4 tbsp
Ginger grated - 2 inch.
Moong Dhal -1/2 cup
Garlic - 2 pods.
Lime/lemon juice - 1/2 (2 tbsp)
Carrots - 1 cut in long slices (50 gms)
Drum Stick - 1 (100 gms)
potato, - 1 cut in cubes (100 gms)
Onion - 1 cut in large cubes
Cabbage - 1/4 of a medium sized cabbaged cut in large pieces. (100 gms)

To grind:
Grated coconut - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Green chilies - 2-3 (depends on how spicy you want it)

Method:
Cook the moong dhal with garlic in water.
If it is 3/4 th cooked , add all the vegetables and cook it till the dhal becomes mushy.
Take the 2 tbsp of thick coconut milk from the can and dilute it in water to make one can and add it to the boiling vegetables.
(If you are extracting milk, then you may need 1/2 big coconut to do the entire dish.)
Grind the ingredients of the ground mixture.
When the vegetables are tender add the ground mixture and 1/2 can of coconut milk and let it cook for some time.
Now add the remaining thick coconut milk (2 tbsp).
Crush the ginger and extract juice .
Just before you switch off the stove add the ginger juice and cook for a minute and take it off the stove
When Sodhi cools down add salt and lemon juice and temper with mustard and curry leaves. (some people do not temper it).

Serving suggestions:
Makes nearly 700 ml 'sodhi'.Serves 4 people. Serve it over cooked rice.
It should be served more generously like buttermilk so that it runs out of rice.
Do not heat the sodhi as it will give a bitter taste. So try to serve it with piping hot rice. Ginger chutney, sembu (arbi root) fry are suitable side dishes.