Avial(Aviyal)

"cut vegetables into 1" length pieces"
1. elephant yam(chena) - 1 cup
    cucumber(vellarikka) - 1 1/2 cup
    snake gourd(padavalanga) - 3/4 cup
    yard long beans(achinga payar) - 1 nos.
    drumsticks(muringaka) - 1 nos.
    carrot - 1/2 nos.
    brinjal(vazhuthenenga) - 1 1/2 nos.
    raw banana (pacha ethakka) - 1/2 nos.
2. turmeric powder - 2 tbsp.
    chilli powder - 1/2 tbsp.
    salt - as needed
3. raw mango - 1/2 nos.
    green chilli crushed - 1/4 cup
4. grated coconut - 1/2 nos.
   cumin seed(jeerakam) - 1/4 tbsp.  
5. green leaves - 4 stem
    coconut oil - 3 tbsp.



Method
* Pour 1/4 tbsp. coconut oil  into a vessel and
    add items (1) & (2), cover it and cook
* Stir it in between when water starts to evaporate
* When the vegs. are cooked, add mango & green chilli
    and cook with the vessel open
* Allow all the water to get evaporated
* when done, mix crushed coconut and cumin seed
* Now add curry leaves and coconut oil,
    mix it well and remove from the flame


Mythology
Aviyal is supposed to have been invented by Bhima(one of the Pandava brothers) during their exile. According to the legend, when Ballav (Bhima's name during this time) assumed his duties as the cook in the kitchen of Virata, did not know how to cook. One of the first things he did was to chop up many different vegetables, boil them together and top the dish with grated coconut.