Avial with chuvanna cheera | Avial with Red Amaranth

We are starting with this month's mega marathon. Well last year also I participated in the April month's mega marathon and it was fun baking. I am foreseeing the same fun and frolic this month too. Hopefully I am able to meet all the deadlines.

So this month I would be blogging about A-Z Kerala recipes. To start with A I am posting Avial - very important item in the kerala sadya. Yeah yeah I have posted the recipe of Avial already: so this is the summer speciality avial made with chuvanna cheera aka red amaranth, manga aka raw mangoes and murungakka alias drumsticks.

I have described the benefits of red amaranthas in my post cheera-morucurry.

Relish this with piping hot rice and papads.

Ingredients:

Amaranth stems - 1 cup  (cut into 1 inch pieces) 

Amaranth leaves roughly chopped   - 1 cup

Coconut  - 1/2 cup (grated)

Raw mango slices - 1/2 cup ( cut into 1″ pieces) 

Drum stick - 2 nos (cut into 2" long pieces)

Green chillies-  - 2 nos

Shallots - 2 nos

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp 

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

Salt - To taste

Water - As required

To temper

Coconut oil - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Method:

• Coarsely grind the coconut along with cumin, chillies and shallots for a few seconds and keep aside. add very little water while grinding.
• Put the amaranthas stems in a pan along with turmeric and salt and just enough water to barely cover the stems. 
• Cover and cook on low heat till the stems are 70% done. Now add the drumstick pieces and cook for another 10 minutes or until the stems are completely cooked.
• Add the mango slices and let it cook till they turn mushy. 
• Add the chopped leaves (red amaranthas) and cover and cook for a couple of minutes till the leaves are cooked. This would take very few minutes since the leaves get cooked quickly.
• Add the ground coconut mixture stir well. Let it cook for a minute or two. Switch off the heat 
• In a kadai add the coconut oil and add mustard seeds. Once the mustard splutters add the curry leaves. Pour coconut oil tadka in the avial and mix well. Serve with rice.

Notes:

• This avial can also be made with green amaranthas. But red one is the famous for this avial
• Instead of coconut oil tadka, we can also add plain coconut oil directly to the avial - the same was we do for traditional avial.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 63

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