Guide to making Kerala's recipe celebrating vegetables - Avial

A deliciously tangy mix of vegetables brought together with yoghurt and coconut

Last updated: July 27, 2021 | 08:48

3 MIN READ

Here's a guide to making Avial at home

Supplied/Sobha Varghese

A medley of vegetables, Avial is a traditional dish native to Kerala. Often found as a side dish or kootan during a sadhya or feast, this recipe dish is known for its health benefits apart from its rich taste. Made using quite a few vegetables, this dish is cooked to perfection by using grated coconut, sour yoghurt, a few mild spices and coconut oil.

Ingredients

Here are the vegetables you will need

Other ingredients

Preparation time: 1 hour

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

Step 1: Peel and cut all the vegetables into two-inch batons.

Julienne your vegetables and cook them till it becomes tender

Note: When using raw banana and elephant foot yam, soak them in water after cutting them so that they do not darken with the oxidation process that happens on exposure to air.

Step 2: Cover and cook the chopped vegetables in a thick based pan with water, green chillies, turmeric powder, a tablespoon of coconut oil and 1 sprig of curry leaf. Add salt to taste.

Step 3: Cook the vegetable mix for about 10 to 15 minutes on a medium flame. Stir occasionally to prevent the vegetables from sticking to the bottom.

Note: Make sure to cook the vegetables well enough to a point that it becomes tender and not mushy. Therefore, add only the required amount of water as the vegetables release their juices as well

Step 4: While the vegetables become tender, blend grated coconut, shallots, cumin, turmeric powder, 1 sprig of curry leaf and green chilli together to a fine mix. Keep it aside.

Here's what you'll need to thicken the dish...

This is how it should look like. Make sure to not make it into a paste

Step 5: Once the vegetables are tender and nicely cooked, lower the flame. Add the ground mix into the pan and stir carefully. Cover the pan and cook for about 2 minutes.

Note: Make sure to cook the vegetables well enough to a point that it becomes tender and not mushy. Therefore, add only the required amount of water as the vegetables release their juices as well

Step 6: Next, add the yoghurt and mix by tossing for about 1 to 2 minutes. Add salt as per your taste. Be careful the falme is not too hot, or it will cause the yoghurt to split.

Add curd...

Note: Tomato or tamarind can also be used as an alternative to curd.

Step 7: Finally, add a tablespoon of coconut oil and a sprig of curry leaf. Turn the flame off and then cover the pan with its lid for 2 minutes so that the dish can soak up flavours.

Top the dish off with a few drops of coconut oil

Serve 'Avial' hot with steamed rice.

Serve with steamed rice

Sobha Varghese

A home-maker based in Mumbai, Sobha runs a popular YouTube blog called ‘Sobha's Kitchenette’ that focuses on authentic and traditional Kerala recipes