Avialഅവിയൽ
Video: Hebbars Kitchen (YouTube)
Avial is Kerala's great vegetable dish — a chorus of seasonal vegetables simmered in a ground coconut and green chili paste, then folded gently with thick yogurt and finished with a generous drizzle of fragrant coconut oil and curry leaves. Every household has its own version: some add raw mango for tartness instead of yogurt, others insist on ash gourd as the backbone. The Udupi-style variation, popular across coastal Karnataka and Kerala temples, is slightly thicker and relies on fresh green coconut for a clean, bright flavour. Avial is served as a side at Kerala sadyas (feast meals) and is equally at home on an everyday plate alongside rice and sambar.
📍 Make it in Plano
This recipe is the same everywhere — but where you buy the ingredients and eat the dish is local to you.
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Ingredients
- ▪Raw plantain / nendran banana (kaaya — കായ), peeled, cut into 1.5-inch batons1 medium
- ▪Elephant foot yam (chena — ചേന), peeled, cut into 1.5-inch batons150g (about 1 cup cubed)
- ▪Drumstick pods (muringakka — മുരിങ്ങക്ക), cut into 2-inch pieces2 pods
- ▪Ash gourd (kumbalanga — കുമ്പളങ്ങ), peeled, cut into batons150g
- ▪Long beans (payar — പയർ) or green beans, cut into 2-inch lengths10–12 pods
- ▪Carrot, cut into batons1 medium
- ▪Fresh grated coconut (thenga — തേങ്ങ)3/4 cup
- ▪Green chilies3–4 (adjust to heat preference)
- ▪Cumin seeds (jeerakam — ജീരകം)1/2 teaspoon
- ▪Turmeric powder1/2 teaspoon
- ▪Salt1 teaspoon, or to taste
- ▪Thick yogurt / sour curd (perugu)1/3 cup
- ▪Coconut oil (velichenna — വെളിച്ചെണ്ണ)2 tablespoons (do not skip or substitute)
- ▪Curry leaves2 sprigs
- Fresh coconut abroad: Frozen grated coconut (available in South Asian and Caribbean grocery stores in the US, UK, and Canada) is an excellent substitute — thaw before grinding. Desiccated coconut can work in a pinch; soak it in warm water for 15 minutes and squeeze out excess moisture before grinding, but the flavour is subtler.
- Ash gourd and raw plantain: These are found at most South Asian and Chinese grocery stores in larger cities. If unavailable, substitute with courgette/zucchini for ash gourd, and green unripe cooking banana (or taro) for raw plantain. The texture won't be identical, but the flavour profile holds.
- Drumstick pods (moringa): Fresh drumstick is increasingly available at Indian grocery stores and African/Caribbean markets abroad. If unavailable, simply omit — the dish is complete without it. Do not substitute with canned moringa or drumstick powder, which are different products.
Method
- 1Grind the coconut, green chilies, and cumin seeds together in a mixer with just enough water (2–3 tbsp) to form a coarse paste — do not make it too fine or smooth. Set aside.
- 2Place the harder vegetables (yam and raw plantain) in a wide, heavy pan. Add turmeric, salt, and just enough water to come halfway up the vegetables (about 1/2 cup). Bring to a boil, cover, and cook on medium heat for 8 minutes.
- 3Add drumstick pieces, ash gourd, long beans, and carrot. If needed add a splash more water. Cover and cook another 7–8 minutes until all vegetables are just cooked through but still holding their shape — they should not turn mushy.
- 4Reduce heat to low. Add the coconut-chili paste and mix gently to coat all the vegetables. Cook uncovered for 3–4 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the raw coconut smell cooks out.
- 5Lightly beat the yogurt until smooth. Remove the pan from heat (or keep on the lowest flame) and stir in the yogurt in one addition. Mix carefully — do not boil after adding yogurt or it will split. Adjust salt.
- 6Finish with coconut oil and curry leaves, torn slightly. Cover the pan and let it sit for 2 minutes off heat so the coconut oil perfumes the dish. Serve with steamed rice.
A Desi.Net original recipe · part of our Indian Cuisine library. Confirm details and adjust to taste.