The whole of this month, the Blogging Marathon members have been dishing out recipes from A to Z. September was a month long marathon, with A to Z as the theme.
With Onam around the corner (when we started the BM), I picked Onam recipes as my challenge. This was an exception as the main themes were different.
Today is the last day and you have no idea how much thinking had gone into this post. And how much cheating too! H, D and G were all difficult, but X and Z was almost impossible, given that the recipe had to fit into Sadya theme or at least be a Kerala based one.
The choices for Z were Orange zest rasam, zest (actually, peel)of orange pachadi, zucchini thoran or sambar. These would fit into Kerala cuisine at least, if not Sadya in particular. But I couldn’t get oranges or zucchini here. But I did get some green tomatoes, with had small stripes on them here and there.
These werent the proper ‘Green Zebra‘ tomatoes, but these were green and did have SOME stripe like patterns, so for the lack of choice, I am christening them as Zebra Tomatoes. Scroll down for the recipe and this is one of the ‘Nadan'(kind of means native) recipes.
The regular Avial we make is a mix of a lot of vegetables, but there are a lot of other avial recipes too. Green tomato avial is one. Jackfruit (not ripe) and Mango avial is another.
In Kerala, there is a saying “Chakkayum Mangayum 6 masam, angane-ingane 6 masam”, meaning you manage with Jack fruit and Mangoes for 6 months and then manage with this and that for the remaining 6 months.
Ingredients:
- Green Tomatoes: 1/2 kg
- Chillies : 1
- Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp
- Salt
- Coconut Oil : 2 tsp
- Curry leaves
For grinding:
- Coconut, scrapped : 3/4 cup
- Jeera, cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp
- Green chillies : 2-3
Method:
- Optional step: You can saute 1/2 cup chopped shallots and then start from there.
- Wash clean and cut tomatoes into long finger chips like pieces. Slit the chilli open into two pieces.
- Grind coconut, jeera and chillies into a smooth paste. Now, if you have sauteed the onions, then add the tomatoes and chilli and cook for a minute. Else add the tomatoes, chilli and the ground paste together in a pan.
- Cook in low fire until the tomatoes are done. You need to add the turmeric powder and salt too.
- Once the tomatoes are done (they should retain their shape, but its ok if its mushy like mine too :D), take off the heat. Add the coconut oil on top and curry leaves to it.
- Close it with a lid for the flavors to mix. Serve with rice as a side dish.
Previous posts in this series, from A to Z :
- A – Avial, Ada Pradhaman, Achinga Payar – Chena Mezhukkupiratti
- B – Beetroot Kichadi, Beet root thoran, Beans Thoran
- C – Carrot Thoran, Cabbage Thoran
- D – Daal – Parippu Curry
- E – Erisseri – Chena & Mathan Vanpayaru
- F – Fruit Pachadi
- G – God’s Own Country – Kerala
- H – How to Serve a Sadya
- I – Inji Puli
- J – Jackfruit Payasam – Chakka Payasam
- K – Kalan & Koottu Curry
- L – Lemon Rasam
- M – Mambazha Pulisseri & Mathan Pachadi
- N – Neer Moru/ButterMilk
- O – Olan
- P – Payasam & Pookkalam
- Q – Quaker Oats Payasam
- R – Rice and Rasam
- S – Sambar
- T – Thenga paal
- U – Upperi
- V – Vegetable Cutting
- W- Wheat Payasam
- X – Xtra Tips for Preparing a Sadya
- Y – Yam Fry
- Z – Zebra Green Tomato Avial
Logo courtesy : Preeti
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 32
Linking this to Valli’s Side Dish Mela.
My Kitchen Trials 
Learnt a lot from your Onasadya recipes.This one looks like it will be a regular one at my home.
LikeLike
the next time I get some green tomatoes will definitely be trying these. wish I had seen this recipe before because I came home last weekend with a bunch of green tomatoes from a local farm but now they have all already been used
LikeLike
The christening is hilarious and very creative..Totally understand your plight of naming traditional dishes to suit the theme..Loved the series and learnt a lot from it!
LikeLike
Rajani….lovely saadhya recipes…Now i can atleast dream of cooking one sone day!!
LikeLike
Rajini this is fab. With one of the most difficult themes I am really really stunned with what you have here. As for cheating that not cheating that’s creativity.:D I am coming back to re read some that I have in my mind. I enjoyed this series and it was great, was because I ma late in commenting. I enjoy your writeup. Please keep it coming.
LikeLike
Rajani, great job with your A-Z Sadya recipes. Loved reading all of them. I’m sure I’ll be coming back to read in detail and for the amazing recipes. Kudos to your efforts.
‘Zebra’ tomato avial sounds delicious.
LikeLike
Rajani, this was a good trick, and whatever the alphabet be, all your recipeds were wonderful and enlightening, half year of mangos and jackfruits and the rest with this and that is a wonderful saying, where do coconuts fit in kerala, i thought it was all about coconut
LikeLike
Such a lovely thoughtful post for a difficult alphabet…never thought you could get a saadya recipe under Z. We will continue with your christened name for the tomato and call it the same :)
LikeLike
Love your all traditional dish.. its a wonderful and divine treat for us.
LikeLike
That is very beautiful post dear ! Enjoyed all your recipes and posts in this BM.
LikeLike
great explanation on the name!!! lol:) Loved all your delicious and authentic dishes!!
Sowmya
LikeLike
hahahah..Rajani you are hilarious!..imagine christening a tomato as Zebra!..anyway hats off to your creativity and of course your zeal to make Sadya recipes..as I said I love this cuisine and have been enjoying so much reading your posts..bookmarked your entire series to try myself…Thanks for the wonderful efforts!
LikeLike
Omg, am stunned to see how beautifully you posted this aviyal with letter Z, fantastic job Rajani, seriously loved ur sadya recipes from A-Z..
LikeLike
I have enjoyed the Sadya recipes, though I need more time to read them thoroughly…will surely do so..and I guess your challenge was really tough.”so a little cheating is only fair and accepted.
Zebra aviyal is new to me..wish you had shown us those tomatoes:)
LikeLike
Omg hats of you thought first of all i was wondering wat dish will you be posting for letter Z in onasadya :) this is such an delicious avial dear :) very very innovative and yummy looking avial :) I thoroughly enjoyed you a-z Ona sadya spl recipe :) they made me drool here !!
LikeLike