Avial (Kerala Mixed Vegetables in Coconut and Yogurt)
اویال (کیرالا کی ناریل اور دہی والی ملی جلی سبزیاں)
Avial is a thick mix of vegetables in a coconut and yogurt sauce, and one of the must-have dishes on the banana leaf of a Kerala *sadya*, the vegetarian feast served at weddings and the Onam harvest festival. It uses whatever is in season: yam, raw banana, carrot, beans, drumsticks, pumpkin and cucumber, all cut into finger-length batons so they cook evenly. The finishing touch is a drizzle of raw coconut oil and fresh , which gives avial its aroma.
- ⏱ Total: 45 min
- Prep: 25 min
- Cook: 20 min
- Easy
- Serves 5
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Put the harder vegetables (carrot, potato, beans) in the pot with the turmeric, salt and water. Cover and cook on medium for 7 minutes.
Add the softer vegetables (pumpkin, cucumber, aubergine) and cook for 5–6 minutes more until everything is just tender but holding its shape.
Grind the coconut, green chillies, cumin and shallots coarsely with 2–3 tbsp water. The paste should be grainy, not smooth.
Add the coconut paste and mix gently with a spatula, lifting from the bottom so the vegetables don't break. Cook uncovered for 3–4 minutes until the water dries up.
Turn off the heat and fold in the yogurt. Drizzle with the raw coconut oil, scatter the curry leaves on top, cover and leave for 10 minutes for the aroma to soak in. Mix and serve.
Kitchen notes
Cut all the vegetables to the same size so they cook evenly.
Don't boil after adding the yogurt or it will split.
Some families use raw mango or tamarind instead of yogurt for sourness.
A dish for the Onam feast
Every year at Onam, Kerala’s harvest festival, families sit down to a sadya: a vegetarian feast of twenty or more dishes served on a banana leaf. Avial is one of the essentials, along with sambar, rasam, pickles, banana chips and payasam. Its mild, creamy coconut flavour balances the sharper dishes around it.
A legend of leftovers
Kerala folklore says avial was invented when a royal kitchen ran short of food and the cook combined every leftover vegetable with coconut and yogurt. Whether or not that’s true, it captures the spirit of the dish: flexible, thrifty and delicious.
Coarse coconut, raw oil
Two details make avial taste right. The coconut paste should be coarse, so you can see the shreds. And the coconut oil goes in at the end, raw, with fresh curry leaves, then the pot is covered to trap the aroma. If you’re not used to coconut oil, start with a teaspoon.
Serving
Serve with rice and sambar or rasam, or as a side with Kerala fish curry. It’s also good with appam.
Questions people ask
Can I use any vegetables?
Yes. Avial was traditionally a way to use up odd vegetables. Avoid leafy greens and very watery vegetables like tomato.
Is avial served hot or cold?
Warm or at room temperature. It's often made ahead for feasts.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 210
- Protein
- 4 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
