This avial recipe is perfect for large gatherings and family meals.
Introduction to Avial
Avial is a classic vegetarian dish from Kerala, often served at traditional feasts such as the Sadya. It is a medley of seasonal vegetables gently cooked and bound together by a fragrant paste of coconut, green chillies, and cumin, finished with curd and coconut oil. The vegetables are cut uniformly—around 5 cm long and 1 cm thick—to ensure even cooking and a pleasing texture. In colloquial Malayalam, avial also means “to mix or mess up,” a fitting description for this comforting, wholesome dish. Along Kerala’s coast, avial often shares the table with seafood delicacies like meen curry (fish curry) and chemmeen thoran (stir-fried prawns), creating a beautiful balance of land and sea on the festive platter.
Ingredients
serves 8
Vegetables
- 4 drumsticks (moringa pods)
- 50g string beans (lobia)
- 50g elephant foot yam (suran)
- 50g colocasia (arbi)
- 2 unripe plantains
- 50g cucumber
Others
- 1½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp curd (not too sour), whisked
- 1 stalk curry leaves
- 1½ tsp coconut oil
To grind to a coarse paste
- 1 medium-sized fresh coconut, grated
- 6 shallots, chopped
- 10 green chillies, chopped
- 1 stalk curry leaves
- A pinch of cumin powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
Method
- Prepare the vegetables: Peel the drumsticks and trim the string beans. Cut all vegetables into uniform pieces—around 5 cm in length and 1 cm in width.
- Cook the vegetables: Place the vegetables in a large pan with the salt and 1½ cups of water. Cook over high heat for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender but not mushy.
- Add the coconut mixture: Stir in the ground coconut paste and the whisked curd. Cook on low heat for 2 minutes, stirring gently to avoid breaking the vegetables.
- Finish and serve: Add fresh curry leaves and drizzle with coconut oil. Mix gently and serve warm.
Variations of Avial
- In some regions of Kerala, tamarind or unripe mango is used instead of curd to add tanginess.
- A few pieces of bitter gourd may also be added for an extra layer of flavour and subtle bitterness.
Avial pairs beautifully with steamed rice and is a quintessential part of the Onam Sadya. While Kerala’s coastal regions are famous for their seafood delicacies like meen pollichathu and karimeen fry, this humble vegetable dish holds its own as a star of vegetarian cuisine.
