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Delicious and healthy dishes that can be made even by first timers.

Avial (Kerala Style)

 Published 2007-Nov-29   Updated 2019-Sep-16

- Submitted by Dahlia

(Kanyakumari special Avial, Kerala Aviyal, Aviyal Without Curd, Aviyal With Coconut, அவியல்)

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Avial is a dish that originated in the kerala cuisine. As the name indicates, avial is a 'mixture' of vegetables cooked with coconut. It has a combination of vegetables making it very nutritious.

In Kerala, avial is the first side dish served during any sadya. In Tamil nadu, Adai Avial is a popular breakfast combination. Avial has its own variations in different parts of kerala, Tamil nadu and Udipi. In Tamilnadu, avial is made with yogurt and is  little more watery as compared to the Kerala avial. No turmeric is added and hence it is white in color.

Here I am sharing the Kerala version of avial. In Kanyakumari district and Trivandrum, this avial is made almost everyday.

Video Instructions for making Avial

Recipe For Aviyal

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 3

Ingredients

  • Vegetables of your choice - about 2.5 cups (cut into 2" pieces) {You may make Avial with whatever vegetables you have on hand. The vegetables I have used are Ash-gourd - 1/4 cup, Brinjal - 1/4 cup,  Raw banana - 1/4 cup, Green beans - 1/4 cup, Carrot - 1/4 cup, Drumstick -1, Cucumber - 1/4 cup, Raw Mango - 1/2, Potato - 1, Cluster Beans - 1/4 cup . You may also use Yellow Pumpkin, Yam, Banana Peppers, Parsnip, Chayote Squash, Kholrabi etc.}
  • Curry leaves - 2 spring
  • Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
  • Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Salt - to taste

To grind

  • Coconut - 1/2 cup (grated) (Go here for avial without coconut)
  • Green chillies - 4
  • Small Onion - 2-3
  • Garlic - 1 cloves
  • Tamarind - blueberry size/ Sour Curd - 1/4 cup
  • Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method

  1. Cover and cook all the vegetables for 5 minutes with turmeric, salt and 1/2 cup water in a kadai.
  2. In the meantime grind coconut, green chillies, small onions, garlic clove, cumin seeds and tamarind coarsely. If you are adding curd, do not add tamarind while grinding.
  3. When the veggies are half cooked add the ground mixture to it and mix everything well. If you like your avial semi solid, add another 1/2 cup of water at this stage.
  4. Continue to cook on low flame till the veggies are fully cooked. Carefully mix everything occasionally with a flat spoon to avoid the veggies from sticking to the bottom.
  5. The vegetables should be tender but still hold its shape. At this stage turn off the stove.
  6. Drizzle some fresh coconut oil and some curry leaves on top and keep covered till you are ready to serve. (Alternatively, you can make a tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves in some coconut oil and add to the avial.)
  7. If you haven't added tamarind while grinding or raw mango along with the vegetables, you can mix in beaten curd at this stage. Tasty avial is ready to be served.

Detailed Steps to make Avial

Take all the vegetables of your choice. I have listed the different vegetables that can be used in the ingredients above. There is no hard and fast rules, you may use whatever vegetables you prefer. In our native place, the preferred vegetables are raw banana, carrot, brinjal, ash gourd (white pumpkin), drumstick, raw mango, golden cucumber, banana peppers, yam, and cluster beans. Chop it lengthwise in uniform size so that it cooks uniformly.

Kerala Aviyal Ingredients Kerala Aviyal Ingredients

Take all the vegetables in a wide kadai with turmeric, salt and 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes till the vegetables are partially cooked. Usually avial is made in a earthen pot or a uruli.

Kerala Aviyal Steps

In the meantime grind the grated coconut, green chilies, small onions, garlic clove, cumin seeds and tamarind coarsely. It is enough if you pulse the mixie few times till you have a coarse mix. If you are adding curd instead of tamarind, do not add it now.

Kerala Aviyal Steps Kerala Aviyal Steps

Add the ground mixture to the vegetables and mix everything. Continue to cook on low flame till the veggies become tender. Mix everything occasionally to avoid the veggies from sticking to the bottom of the kadai. 

Kerala Aviyal Steps Kerala Aviyal Steps

The vegetables should be tender but still hold its shape. At this stage turn off the stove.

Drizzle some fresh coconut oil and some curry leaves on top. Keep it covered till you are ready to serve. (Alternatively, you can make a tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves in some coconut oil and add to the avial.)

If you haven't added tamarind while grinding or raw mango along with the vegetables, you can mix in beaten curd at this stage. Tasty avial is ready to be served.

Kerala Aviyal Steps

Serving Suggestions

  • In Kerala, avial is served with white rice. It is an important part of the Sadhya.
  • In Tamil Nadu, avial is also served as a side for Adai (Adai Avial).
  • It can also be had with chapattis.

Kerala Aviyal

Variations

  • Instead of tamarind or curd, the juice of a lemon can be added at the end for the tang. This gives a kind of lemony flavor to the dish. This avial with no tamarind is also a good choice for those who cannot have tamarind.
  • If you add raw mango along with the vegetables, it will provide the sourness needed. In that case, no need of adding tamarind or curd.
  • A variation of avial without coconut, shared by my friend Raji, is also available here.

Below I have shared the images of Aviyal made with tamarind and Aviyal made with curd to have an idea of the appearance of the final product.

Avial with Tamarind

Avial Without Curd

Avial with Curd

Avial With Curd

Rice with Paruppu Curry, Vellarika Pulissery, Potato Fry, Aviyal and Onion Papad Thoran

Rice Lunch with Aviyal

Other Vegetarian Side-Dish Recipes

Gobi Manchurian Gobi Manchurian Eggplant Fry Eggplant Fry Turnip Greens Poriyal Turnip Greens Poriyal Bok Choy Poriyal Bok Choy Poriyal
See more ⟩⟩


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Comments (2)

Person   ()
Hi..
I am from kerala. I like your way of presentation. In traditional kerala avial we don't add potato & Brinjal. It gives a different taste to that of origional one. But adding more vegetables is good to health. In that way its just ok.
Person   ()
In our place also traditionally potatoes are not added. Also the green brinjals are used. As you said, avial can be made with different regionally available vegetables. It will still be tasty and healthy.

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Old Comments

Comment by raji ramakrishnan
hi,

everyone has their own ideas and makes it. some people add turmeric, some do not. those who do not want to eat puli(tamarind), mango, curd is best. I add the curd in the last minute i.e. after adding the coconut mix, I add little bit jeera also while grinding, to bring to boil the veg mix and then add the beaten curd. switch off gas, add coconut oil, curry leaves and cover. It is a lovely dish will go with anything like chapati, rice, adai, dosai, etc. etc. I do not add onion, but my neigbout used to add small onions (sambar onions) as it has got a different flavour and taste. I love all the variations of avial. I make avial without coconut also. u must be wondering how it will taste? it tastes good because i develop the taste for each and every kind of recipes. Cholestrol prevents me from using coconut.
 

Reply :-

        Yes thats true. In my hometown itself they make 3-4 variations of aviyal. I've seen one of my friend use dry red chillies instead of green. Overall, its an amzing dish.
 
Comment by jayamalla shenoy
           Hi,
Avial is made in variations in different rgions of south India.
ofcourse it is originated in Kerala. Anyway I love it. I feel that we can add vegetables of our choice and try variations.I prepare avial in different variations. my family love it anyway. I google for the different recipes of avial and mix and match the recipes and prepare it. Since Iam in desert region this recipe without curds helps me alot in summer. though I cook avial with curds sometimes I am bit health concerned about the idea of cooking the curds. so sometimes I mix the curds later after the whole dish is cooked and cooled down.

thank you for this recipe , because iam trying this today with lit bit variations.

Reply :-

          Hi Jayamalla, Do try the recipe and give your comments.
 
 This is not avial

                        - by nithya on Sun 2/24/08 3:34 AM            

            Oh avial! No traditional avial doesnt come out in this color at all.. please...stop posting ur own experimented recipes in the name of traditinal recipes... avial doesnt have any tomato , turmeric powder or tamarind added to it.. it will be white in color and we add only curd for the tang and puli...

Reply :- 

          Hi nithya, This is the traditional aviyal from kanyakumari district and kerala if you have ever seen it. As you know aviyal originated in kerala. All the aviyal recipes made in Tamil nadu and other parts of South India are only variations. Aviyal from other parts of Tamil nadu is white  in color because no turmeric is added.It is for your kind information if you are not aware of it. Do give it a try. It tastes very good. If you want more information do see this link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aviyal
 



 Published by on and last updated on 2019-09-16.