What is Avial?

This avial curry as my mum calls it, is a flavourful and nutritious vegetable medley that is the perfect addition to many diets like the Keto, Paleo, and Vegan diets with just a slight variation. Though this avial dish is native to the South Indian state of Kerala, it is also one of the staples in many Tamilian homes. With its abundant veggies and vibrant colours cooked in a delicious coconut-based gravy, this Kerala avial recipe is a true testament to the culinary excellence of the South Indian region. The real stars of the dish are the vegetables. You can include any from the long list of Indian vegetables like tomatoes, onions, any kind of pumpkin, drumsticks, raw banana, ash gourd, carrot, cauliflower, brinjal/eggplant, any kind of squashes, any kind of gourd, beans, and green peas.

The versatility of this brahmin avial recipe, also allows for substituting local vegetables instead of Indian vegetables, in case you are one of the many Indians living abroad, like leeks, courgette instead of gourd, asparagus, cucumbers, broccoli instead of cauliflower, bell pepper, french beans, cluster beans, broad beans, and even cucumbers and beetroots/beets in case you don’t mind its distinct taste and the colour.

What Are The Different Ways To Savour Avial?

The delectable and aromatic nature of this dish makes it the perfect match for many South Indian dishes, starting from simple steamed rice, Lemon Rice and Coconut Rice to breakfast dishes like adai, appam, dosai, and neer dosa!

In many Western variations, this aviyal recipe can also be enjoyed on a bed of cous cous or polenta. The sheer flavour makes it a suitable accompaniment for a lot of sides and main dishes. It blends the flavours together in harmony, making it not only a very delicious, but also an extremely healthy dish.

Avial Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Cup - Mixed Vegetables, cut into 1-inch Strips

• 1 Cup - Grated Coconut

• 2 Pieces - Green Chilies, Slit Lengthwise

• 1/4 tsp - Turmeric Powder

• 1/2 tsp - Cumin Seeds

• 1 Cup - Yogurt

• 1-2 Sprigs - Curry Leaves

• 2 tbsp - Oil

• Salt to taste

PREPARATION

1. Cook all the vegetables in a pressure cooker for about 1-2 whistles (depending on the type of vegetable) with water, salt, and turmeric. Once it is cooked, set aside for the pressure to release by itself.

2. In a food processor, grind the grated coconut, green chili, turmeric powder, and cumin seeds to make a smooth paste.

3. Next, beat the yoghurt into a smooth paste and add the blended coconut paste and mix well. Then set aside.

4. Heat oil in a deep dish pot. Once hot, temper the curry leaves until they become aromatic.

5. Add the vegetables to the pot, along with the water in which the vegetables were cooked. Avoid stirring too much to avoid mushing up the veggies.

6. After 2 minutes, Pour in the yoghurt-coconut mixture and gently mix everything without damaging the integrity of the vegetables. Taste it and add salt as required.

7. Let it boil for a few more minutes until the gravy thickens.

8. Enjoy this avyial a variety of dishes to create combinations like rice avial, adai avial, and dosai aviyal.

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