Avial | How to make Kerala Style Avial
Avial is a traditional dish from Kerala, made with an assortment of native veggies simmered in a spicy coconut paste. Served as part of the Onam Sadya (festive meal)
Equipment
- Steamer
- Thick Bottomed Pan
Ingredients
- 3 cups Mixed Vegetables - Cut into 2 inch long batons {I used Drumsticks Raw banana, arbi (Colocasia), White pumpkin,Yellow Pumpkin ,Carrots, French beans, Sweet Potato}
- Homemade thick curd - 1 cup
- 1.5 tsp Salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric optional, I didn't add
- 2 sprig curry leaves
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1 cup Freshly grated coconut
- 1 TBSP Cumin seeds Jeera
- 5 Green chillies adjust spice
Instructions
- Wash all veggies, prep them and cut them into equal sized 2 inch batons (that aren't too thick or too thin)
- Steam them with little water, half the salt, 2 slit green chillies and few coriander leaves for 7-8 mins (or till 80% cooked), switch off the flame.
- Drain the water and reserve
- In a mixie, grind the coconut, cumin and rest of the green chillies with a handful of curry leaves to a smooth paste, Add 1/4 cup of curd to grind this paste
- Transfer this paste to the veggies, lightly mix coating the coconut cumin chilli paste evenly. Simmer for 1-2 mins
- Finish with a drizzle of coconut oil, rest of the curd and curry leaves.
- Serve hot with steamed rice and Kerala Pappadam
Video
Notes
Tips to make the best Kerala Avial:
- Use freshest veggies , and add them in the order of which takes longest to cook. For eg: french beans and carrot take longer so add them first , and towards the end add raw banana and yam as they take very little time to cook. But cook all veggies only till 75-80% done, else they turn mushy.
- Adding a ladle of curd while making the paste gives a creamy texture to the avial
- Some recipes add rice flour to the avial to thicken it, this is used when buttermilk is added instead of thick curd - this also yields a slightly runny avial.
- Some recipe add rice to the grinding paste, so it adds a natural thickness to the curry
- Some recipes use some tamarind as souring agent if the curd is too sweet.
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