National Curry Week: Cyrus Todiwala’s Avial curry

One of the big players on the UK’s Indian restaurant scene, Cyrus Todiwala MBE has exclusively given us his recipe for his favourite all-time classic dish in celebration of National Curry Week​.

Pledging his support for the event, from which all proceeds go towards Oxfam’s River Basin Project along the Ganges, Todiwala has promised to donate £1 for every person dining at his restaurants Caf» Spice Namaste and The Parsee this week.

Hailing from India himself, Todiwala first realised his passion for cooking during his upbringing in Bombay. After completing catering college he trained as a chef with the Taj Group, but it was after moving to Europe in 1991 that Todiwala became known for his passion for creating dishes using organic, experimental and unexpected ingredients.

Along with his personal recipe for Avial curry, a light vegetable dish with yogurt and coconut, Todiwala has exclusively divulged to BigH readers his top tips for creating the perfect curry, and hopes chefs will also pledge their support this week.

Todiwala`s top tips for creating vegetable curry:

1.​ To create great vegetable dishes, one needs to think about seasonal and local produce. Be bold, buy British - even brussel sprouts make a fabulous Indian side dish.
2.​ Be simple in your outline. Do not clutter your mind with too many fancy or zany ideas on how you would like the dish to look. More importantly you need to imagine what the flavour will be like and whether it will match the rest of the meal you are cooking.
3.​ For vegetable dishes it’s best to have everything ready and nearby, so once you start cooking you do not waste time trying to find ingredients as that can destroy the dish completely.
4.​ Be creative and imaginative, using your recipe as a guidance tool. Try to find similar textures for vegetables recommended, for instance if the recipe calls for courgette for example you know that you can use various kind of marrow, squashes, pumpkin, gourds and mixed peppers all of which will do just as well.
5.​ The very best place to store your spices and condiments is your refrigerator chiller tray. Keep them below your vegetables and you will see that they last much longer and remain fresher.

Avial

A light vegetable curry with yogurt and coconut, typical of Kerala​

Ingredients​
One medium sized potato cut into cubes
One small aubergine cut into cubes
Six to eight ladies fingers cut into one-inch pieces
One small raw banana cut into cubes. These are available in Indian stores, and can be purchased single
One stringed Drumstick cut into two inch pieces. Drumsticks are long beans, thick and stringy. They impart a superb flavour and only the little pulp inside is edible. The rest is too hard to eat
One small Snake Gourd, peeled, seeded and cut into pieces
Three or four red chillies
Half a teaspoon turmeric powder
Half a teaspoon cumin seeds
200gm thick yogurt
Two tablespoons coconut oil (can use any oil if not available, except olive oil)
One medium onion, sliced
300gm grated coconut, fresh or frozen, or 250gm desiccated.
Two or three large green chillies
15 curry leaves
Salt to taste

Method​
​• Put all the vegetables in a casserole, add the turmeric, salt, the red chillies & enough water to just cover the vegetables, cook until half done.
• Grind, or liquidise in a blender the green chillies with the coconut and the cumin seeds.
• When the cumin is well ground add the yoghurt and after a few whirls remove and blend into the half cooked vegetables.
• Stir continuously for two minutes or so and bring back to the boil slowly.
• Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan and when hazy add the mustard seeds and curry leaves.
• When the mustard seeds stop cracking add this to the vegetables and stir.
• Check seasoning and remove.
• Served best with plain steamed rice or hoppers.

"It is important to note that this is the classical version and the vegetables are typical. However I would urge all cooks to try something different, using local and season produce."