Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1.Prepare Avial Vegetables

   Heat a kadhai on low flame. Add 10-12 fresh curry leaves and roast for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Then add ½ cup chopped sweet potato, ½ cup chopped raw banana, ½ cup chopped pumpkin, ½ cup chopped carrot, ½ cup chopped beans, ½ cup chopped drumsticks, and ½ tsp turmeric powder. Sauté all vegetables for 3 minutes. Add 1 cup water, mix, cover, and cook on low flame for 7-8 minutes until vegetables are soft.

2. 2.Prepare Thick Coconut Milk

   To make thick coconut milk, blend ⅔ cup chopped coconut with ⅔ cup water in a mixer until smooth. Strain the mixture through a muslin cloth, squeezing out all the liquid. This yields ⅔ cup thick coconut milk.

3. 3.Prepare Avial Gravy

   In a mixer, add 1 cup grated coconut (or leftover roughage from coconut milk), 1 tsp roasted cumin seeds, 12-14 curry leaves, 1 medium green chili, and 1 tsp rock salt. Blend briefly until coarse, not a smooth paste.

4. 4.Combine Avial

   Turn off the gas for the cooked vegetables. Add the ⅔ cup thick coconut milk and the prepared gravy to the kadhai. Mix everything well, cover the kadhai, and let it sit for 5-7 minutes for the flavors to meld. Serve hot.

5. 5.Prepare Lemon Rice

   Heat a pot. Add ½ tsp mustard seeds and 6-8 curry leaves. Sauté for 2 minutes on medium flame. Add ½ cup raw brown rice (soaked in water before adding), 3 cups water, and ¼ tsp turmeric powder. Cover the pot and cook the rice for 25 minutes.

6. 6.Finish Lemon Rice

   Once the rice is cooked, turn off the gas. Add 1 tbsp lemon juice, ½ tsp jaggery powder, and 1 tsp rock salt. Mix everything well. Serve hot, preferably on a banana leaf and eat with hands for double flavor.

7. 7.Prepare Coconut Stew Spices

   Prepare 1½ cups thick coconut milk in advance. Heat a kadhai on low flame. Add 8 fenugreek seeds, ½ tsp mustard seeds, 1 bay leaf, 2 star anise, 1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick, and 2 cloves. Roast these spices for 3 minutes until fragrant. Then add 1 tsp finely chopped ginger, 1 finely chopped green chili, and 25 fresh curry leaves. Roast for another 1 minute.

8. 8.Cook Coconut Stew Vegetables

   Add ¼ cup chopped drumsticks, 1 cup chopped potato, ½ cup fresh green peas, and ¾ cup water to the kadhai. Mix all vegetables, cover, and cook on medium flame for 3 minutes. Then add 1 cup chopped cauliflower, ½ cup chopped pumpkin, ½ cup chopped carrot, and ¼ cup chopped green beans. Cover the lid and let all vegetables cook for 15 minutes on medium flame.

9. 9.Combine Coconut Stew

   After 15 minutes, turn off the gas. Add 1½ cup thick coconut milk, 1 tsp jaggery powder, and 1 tsp rock salt to the kadhai. Mix well, cover again for 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Serve your creamy coconut stew hot.

10. 10.Prepare Appam Batter

    Soak ¾ cup brown rice in water for 6 hours. After 6 hours, drain the water from the brown rice and transfer it to a mixer. Add ¼ cup chopped spinach and 1 cup water. Blend to make a smooth paste. Pour the batter into a large steel or glass bowl. For natural fermentation, add 8 green chili tops to the batter. Cover the bowl with a plate and place it in a warm spot (like a kitchen cabinet or counter) for 15 hours to ferment. Do not place in direct sunlight.

11. 11.Adjust Appam Batter Consistency

    After 15 hours, the batter should be slightly puffed up, indicating successful fermentation. If the batter is too thick, add ¼ cup water and mix well until it has a consistency that is neither too thick nor too thin, allowing it to spread slightly on its own.

12. 12.Cook Spinach Appam

    Heat a heavy cast iron tawa on high flame. If the tawa is not pre-seasoned, add just two drops of oil. Once hot, sprinkle some water on the tawa and wipe it with a clean cotton cloth. Pour one ladle of batter onto the tawa. Do not spread it; let the batter naturally form a 6-inch circular shape. When small bubbles start appearing in the center of the appam, cover it with a lid or plate and cook on medium flame for 2-3 minutes. Once cooked from the center, remove the appam from the tawa. After each appam, sprinkle water on the tawa and wipe it with a clean cloth for easier cooking. Serve hot with Coconut Stew.