Avial ( A vegetarian specialty dish from Kerala in Southern India)

Ingredients :
Potato : 1 Large
Suran (Elephant foot yam – Amorphophallus paeoniifolius) : 300 Gms.
Red Pumpkin or  Bottle Gourd (Dudhi Bhopla) : 300 Gms.
Raw Banana : 1 no.
Carrot : 1 Large
French Beans : 200 Gms.
Green Peas : 100 Gms.
Drumsticks – Moringa oleifera (Soavagyaacyaa SoMagaa fruit) : 2 Nos.
Freshly Grated Coconut : 1 ½ Cups
Green Chillies : 5-6 Nos.
Cumin Seeds : 1 Tsp.
Curd : 1 Cup
Coconut Oil : 2 Tbsp.
Curry Leaves : 12 Nos.
Method :
Cut the vegetables into 1” inch cubes. Peel and cut the banana into cubes as well.
Cook the Elephant foot yam separately in salted water and when almost done,  discard the water. Cook the rest of the vegetables together in salted water with half the curry leaves. The water should just be enough to cook the vegetables. When the vegetables are 9/10th cooked add the cooked yam to them.
Make a paste of coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds. Then mix with the curd to make a smooth paste.
Add the paste to the vegetables and adjust the salt and the consistency of the gravy. Remove after one boil.
N.B. : There are some who prefer a tadka and some who don’t. I like to heat the oil and add the curry leaves to it and give this tadka to the avial. Some people prefer to add all the curry leaves while cooking the vegetables . When you have added the paste and removed it after one boil, they add the raw coconut oil into the avail and mix well.
Best served with boiled rice.