Avial Recipe (Kerala Style)

Avial is a dish that originated in the kerala cuisine. As the name indicates, avial is a 'mixture' of
vegetables cooked with coconut. It has a combination of vegetables making it very nutritious.
In Kerala, avial is the first side dish served during any sadya. In Tamil nadu, Adai Avial is a popular
breakfast combination. Avial has its own variations in different parts of kerala, Tamil nadu and Udipi.
In Tamilnadu, avial is made with yogurt and is  little more watery as compared to the Kerala avial. No
turmeric is added and hence it is white in color.
Here I am sharing the Kerala version of avial. In Kanyakumari district and Trivandrum, this avial is
made almost everyday.

Recipe For Aviyal

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 3

Ingredients
 Vegetables of your choice - about 2.5 cups (cut into 2" pieces)  {You may make Avial with
whatever vegetables you have on hand. The vegetables I have used are Ash-gourd - 1/4 cup, Brinjal
- 1/4 cup,   Raw banana - 1/4 cup, Green beans - 1/4 cup, Carrot - 1/4 cup, Drumstick -1, Cucumber
- 1/4 cup, Raw Mango - 1/2, Potato - 1, Cluster Beans - 1/4 cup . You may also use Yellow Pumpkin,
Yam, Banana Peppers, Parsnip, Chayote Squash, Kholrabi etc.}
 Curry leaves - 2 spring

 Coconut oil - 1 tbsp

 Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

 Salt - to taste

To grind
 Coconut - 1/2 cup (grated) (Go here for avial without coconut)

 Green chillies - 4

 Small Onion - 2-3

 Garlic - 1 cloves

 Tamarind - blueberry size/ Sour Curd - 1/4 cup

 Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method
1. Cover and cook all the vegetables for 5 minutes with turmeric, salt and 1/2 cup water in a
kadai.

2. In the meantime grind coconut, green chillies, small onions, garlic clove, cumin seeds and
tamarind coarsely. If you are adding curd, do not add tamarind while grinding.

3. When the veggies are half cooked add the ground mixture to it and mix everything well. If you
like your avial semi solid, add another 1/2 cup of water at this stage.

4. Continue to cook on low flame till the veggies are fully cooked. Carefully mix everything
occasionally with a flat spoon to avoid the veggies from sticking to the bottom.

5. The vegetables should be tender but still hold its shape. At this stage turn off the stove.

6. Drizzle some fresh coconut oil and some curry leaves on top and keep covered till you are
ready to serve. (Alternatively, you can make a tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves in some
coconut oil and add to the avial.)

7. If you haven't added tamarind while grinding or raw mango along with the vegetables, you
can mix in beaten curd at this stage. Tasty avial is ready to be served.

Detailed Steps to make Avial

Take all the vegetables of your choice. I have listed the different vegetables that can be used in the
ingredients above. There is no hard and fast rules, you may use whatever vegetables you prefer. In
our native place, the preferred vegetables are raw banana, carrot, brinjal, ash gourd (white pumpkin),
drumstick, raw mango, golden cucumber, banana peppers, yam, and cluster beans. Chop it
lengthwise in uniform size so that it cooks uniformly.

Take all the vegetables in a wide kadai with turmeric, salt and 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook for
about 5 minutes till the vegetables are partially cooked. Usually avial is made in a earthen pot or a
uruli.

In the meantime grind the grated coconut, green chilies, small onions, garlic clove, cumin seeds and
tamarind coarsely. It is enough if you pulse the mixie few times till you have a coarse mix. If you are
adding curd instead of tamarind, do not add it now.
Add the ground mixture to the vegetables and mix everything. Continue to cook on low flame till the
veggies become tender. Mix everything occasionally to avoid the veggies from sticking to the bottom
of the kadai. 

The vegetables should be tender but still hold its shape. At this stage turn off the stove.
Drizzle some fresh coconut oil and some curry leaves on top. Keep it covered till you are ready to
serve. (Alternatively, you can make a tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves in some coconut
oil and add to the avial.)

If you haven't added tamarind while grinding or raw mango along with the vegetables, you can mix in
beaten curd at this stage. Tasty avial is ready to be served.

Serving Suggestions
 In Kerala, avial is served with white rice. It is an important part of the Sadhya.

 In Tamil Nadu, avial is also served as a side for Adai (Adai Avial).

 It can also be had with chapattis.