avial recipe with step by step photos. avial also called as aviyal is our favorite recipe made from mix vegetables, coconut and curd. avial is a traditional recipe of kerala and an essential dish of sadya. the recipe shared here is the traditional method of making avial. there are some variations of making aviyal in kerala. three variations, i know of are that of making avial with raw mango, tamarind and curd. in this recipe i have used curd as this is how avial was always made in my home.
according to the wikipedia avial was invented by bhima – one of the five pandavas. as per the story, during their exile, bhima took his responsibilities as a cook in the kitchen of king virata. since bhima did not know how to cook, the first thing he did was to chop various vegetables. then boil them together and then later top the dish with grated coconut.
while making aviyal, its always important to cook the vegetables well. the veggies have to be cooked, but should not be mushy or fall apart. while cooking veggies, do not add more water as the vegetables also release a lot of their juices while cooking. remember first to cook vegetables which take a longer time and then later add vegetables which take less time to cook. if you mix everything at once, you will have a mish mash of veggies where some veggies will be overcooked, pasty and mushy.
in avial, we use mix vegetables, but of a different kind. not the usual cauliflower, carrot, peas, beans combo. the vegetables that are generally added to avial are:
- drumsticks (sahjan ki phalli, moringa pods)
- carrots
- madras cucumber – also known as mangalore cucumber or field marrow
- raw plaintain
- pumpkin (kaddu)
- ash gourd (petha)
- green beans – any variety can be used
- tendli (tindora, ivy gourd)
- suran (elephant foot yam)
- snake gourd
- carrots
you can always go for your own combinations of veggies depending on the availability and your choice. coconut oil is another ingredient that should not be given a miss if you want the authentic taste of aviyal.
if you are looking for more kerala food recipes then do check:
- appam recipe
- idiyappam recipe
- ulli theeyal recipe
- kootu curry recipe
- unniyappam recipe
- vegetable stew recipe
aviyal or avial recipe below:
- 1 cup chopped ash gourd (white pumpkin, winter melon, petha)
- 1 cup chopped pumpkin (kaddu)
- 1 cup chopped drumsticks or 1 to 2 drumsticks (moringa pods, sahjan ki phalli)
- 1 cup chopped elephant foot yam (suran)
- 1 cup chopped mangalore cucumber (field marrow, madras cucumber)
- 1 cup chopped plantain (raw unripe banana)
- ½ cup chopped french beans (green beans)
- 1 cup fresh grated coconut
- 2 to 3 green chilies (hari mirch)
- 1 teaspoon cumin (jeera)
- ⅓ to ½ cup water, for grinding
- 1 cup water, for cooking veggies
- 1 cup fresh curd, (yogurt or dahi), beaten
- 12 to 15 curry leaves (kadi patta)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons coconut oil
firstly rinse and then drain all the veggies.
then peel and chop them in medium to long thick sticks or batons. keep aside.
for chopped unripe banana, keep them immersed in water so that they do not darken.
beat 1 cup fresh curd and keep aside.
in a grinder take 1 cup grated coconut, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and 2 to 3 green chilies (chopped).
add ⅓ to ½ cup water and grind to a coarse paste. keep this coconut paste aside.
take the vegetables which take a longer time to cook in a pan or pot. i have added carrots, drumsticks and green beans (french beans) first.
sprinkle ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and salt as per taste.
add 1 cup water and stir well.
cover the pan and keep it on a stove top on medium-low to medium flame.
simmer till the vegetables are half cooked.
then add the remaining vegetables which take less time to cook. at this step i have added plantain, mangalore cucumber (field marrow), ash gourd and pumpkin.
mix it with the remaining half cooked vegetables.
cover and continue to cook on medium-low to medium flame.
in between do check and if the water dries, you can always add more water.
simmer till the vegetables are almost cooked.
add the ground coconut paste.
mix gently but well.
let the mixture simmer for some 5 to 7 minutes or till the veggies are completely cooked. they should hold shape. so do not cook them too much. if the mixture becomes dry, then add some water.
when all the veggies are cooked, then reduce the flame to a low. add the whisked curd.
stir. and simmer the avial for a minute and switch off the flame.
add 1 to 2 tablespoons coconut oil.
also add 12 to 15 curry leaves. mix the aviyal well. then cover and let the flavors infuse for 5 minutes.
serve avial with rice, kerala sambar and some papadums.
how to make aviyal or avial recipe:
a) preparation:
1. firstly rinse and then drain all the veggies. i have used ash gourd, pumpkin, drumsticks, elephant foot yam, mangalore cucumber, plantain and green beans.
2. then peel and chop them in medium to long sticks or batons. the vegetables need to chopped like a slight thick potato french fry. keep the chopped veggies aside.
3. for chopped unripe banana, keep them immersed in water so that they do not darken.
4. beat 1 cup fresh curd and keep aside.
b) making coconut paste:
5. in a grinder take 1 cup grated coconut, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and 2 to 3 green chilies (chopped).
6. add ⅓ to ½ cup water and grind to a coarse paste. keep this coconut paste aside.
c) cooking vegetables for aviyal:
7. take the vegetables which take a longer time to cook in a pan or pot. i have here added elephant foot yam, drumsticks and green beans (french beans) first.
8. sprinkle ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and salt as per taste.
9. add 1 cup water.
10. stir well.
11. cover the pan and keep it on a stove top on medium-low to medium flame.
12. simmer till the vegetables are half cooked. you can cook for 12 to 15 minutes.
13. then add the remaining vegetables which take less time to cook. at this step i have added plantains, mangalore cucumber (field marrow), ash gourd and pumpkin.
14. mix it with the remaining half cooked vegetables.
15. cover and continue to cook on medium-low to medium flame.
16. in between do check and if the water dries, you can always add more water.
17. simmer till the vegetables are almost cooked.
making avial:
18. add the ground coconut paste.
19. mix gently but well.
20. let the mixture simmer for some 5 to 7 minutes or till the veggies are completely cooked. they should hold shape. so do not cook them too much. if the mixture becomes dry, then add some water.
21. when all the veggies are cooked, then reduce the flame to a low. add the whisked curd.
22. stir. and simmer the avial for a minute and switch off the flame.
23. add 1 to 2 tablespoons coconut oil.
24. also add 12 to 15 curry leaves. mix the aviyal well. then cover and let the flavors infuse for 5 minutes.
25. then serve avial with steamed rice, varutharacha sambar and some papads.
Dhanya says
Dear Dasanna, I am going to try your avial recipe soon…Even my mom who is from Thrissur makes it with a little gravy and often as the major dish. But she uses no tadka. I would be trying it with tadka, looks interesting:) The other variations that people do is use tamarind pulp or raw mango instead of curd….please do try it….it tastes yummmm…
I have been trying your various rice recipes (tomato rice, carrot rice, capsicum rice)…all came out great, esp for tiffin lunches…
Thanks once again….keep motivating us to cook better and better
dassana amit says
thanks dhanya for sharing this bit. i will try with the tamarind and raw mango too. thanks for the positive feedback as always. hugs 🙂
Shruti says
Hi there…I just went through most of your recipes and loved the way you have photographed the most. But here me being a Keralite would like to tell you its so not the right way of making Avial. Its such an authentic Kerala dish before putting up in the blog you should have at least googled it you would have got the right recipe. Tempering in Avial just make the whole dish into something else and also the consistency is quite thick not something to be poured over rice. It is not like any other dish that we can do our own alterations, but yeah of course we can if we are just making it for ourselves and not putting up it on a blog. Its just a dish with a wrong name you have put up here.
dassana says
Hi Shruti
this is the way, my mother makes the avial and it is clearly mentioned in the post. this is the only recipe in the blog where i get such comments. i am sorry to say, i am getting this feeling that some people are not flexible as far as this recipe is concerned.
i have seen so many north indian recipes which are wrongly made and are put in many food blogs but no one objects about them and few of those new variations of north indian recipes are admired by the readers since they are good in taste.
since this is how my mother makes it and i find it delicious thats why i am sharing this avial recipe.
you are most welcome to try this avial version and share your feedback here… plus you can share authentic kerala avial recipe made in your home in the comments so as to benefit other readers also.
regards
dassana
Ranjana says
1) Normally and traditionally cumin seeds are not using in avial. For more taste after putting coconut paste you just add coconut oil with curry leaves without boiling…
2)Never put this much water on avial. It a semi gravy preparation. Just add 1/3 glass of water with vegetables and the it will boil with the water that extract from the vegetables.
I am not trying to demotivate you…Pls dn’t take it otherwise….
Ranjana says
Sorry not cumin seed bt pumpkin/kaduku…
Cumin seed is mandatory..
dassana says
not at all. actually this is my mother’s recipe and this is how she makes it. her own variation. hence i have not modified anything in her recipe. i know the way avial is made. your tips are welcomed.
renu says
hi dassana.. i was just reading the recipes on ur blog and came to my home state section…just wanted to tell u that we make avial at home regularly but we do not do the tadka.. we just put curry leaves in coconut oil and pour it over the avial..
dassana says
i know renu. this is my mom’s avial recipe and her way of preparing it. i think i should post an authentic avial recipe in some time.
Shahina Rahman says
Hey,
I have tried your recipe. It is soo good I make it quite frequently. Me being a bengalee it is quite awesome to have the recipe from Kerala.
Thanks,
Shahina Rahman
dassana says
thanks shahina for this positive feedback on avial recipe.
LAKSHMI says
Hi Dassana,
Y’day I was browsing for simple Aloo Baingan recipe and I stumbled on your recipe from this blog.
OMG !!!!! this blog is a Bounty of Treasure for me !!
Avial is one of my favourite dishes and I have never been getting the taste right.
Tonight am going to try your recipe and am very sure it will be lip-smacking !!!!
The aloo baingan turned out sooooo yuuuummmmmyyyy !!!
Thank you so much for all your hardwork in putting so many Vegetarian Recipes together.
and as everyone else observed you have such a simple and easy way of expressing yourself :):):) and you make the dishes sound so easy to make !!!!!
Living in New York though we do find a lot of readymade masalas there is a big difference in the taste and aromas between ready made stuff and home made stuff.
I had to wait for some one to travel from India and request them to bring home made masalas.
Now – with the help of this blog – am going to enjoy home made masalas !!!! mmmmmmmmmmmm……. the aroma is already hitting my nose :):):)
Thank you so much once again…..
dassana says
thanks thanks lakshmi. sure do try the avial recipe – it is my mom’s way of making the recipe. also let me know your feedback.
i do agree with you that the masalas one gets abroad or for that matter in india too is always different than the homemade ones. you can easily make the masalas that we use for indian cooking at home.
LAKSHMI says
I tried the Avial last night…..and guess what ?I thought I had prepared enough to last for 2 meals…but it lasted only for one meal !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Very Yummy !!!!!
I didn’t have coconut oil at home for tempering but that did not bother me as the dish itself was very tasty. Next time I will ensure to use coconut oil.
Please continue to keep up this good work ..especially for people like me who are away from home and longing for authentic Indian Vegetarian food !!!
dassana says
thanks lakshmi. when i saw in my inbox that i have received a comment on the avial post, i was sure it was yours. so glad to know that you and your family liked the avial… more so coz it is my mom’s recipe and a bit different in consistency than the regular avial. i have grown up having this avial and it is a hit at my in law’s place as well.
on the blog there are many good vegetarian recipes that won’t make you miss home 🙂 do try them out.
i just reworked on my categories/tags yesterday & realized that there are many indian dals, curries and sabzis that i still have not posted. so will be posting some more vegetarian recipes.
Ramana says
grt receipe, very tasty , have tried many times during my visit to kerala, especially when you have kerala veg meals, since then became a big fan of this curry.. at last i am going to try this by myself..hope it will come out as exptd..
Thanks for the details given..
dassana says
thanks ramana
bhargavi says
your step by step pictorial presentation is nice but we dont use tempering for AVIAL… finally just add coconut oil and curry leaves… the end!!
dassana says
thanks… this will help the readers…
Katie Lelinwalla says
Thanks for this excellent recipe. Tried it and vow it came out awesome!! Your step by step instructions, makes it really easy for anyone to follow this recipe. Can’t wait to pass this delicious recipe, to all my friends. Best wishes, and keep posting to me such great recipes.
dassana says
thanks katie
Asha says
Nice recipe. But I have some suggestions..
In Kerala Style, you can use shallot and Jeera (cumin) to make the coconut paste. No need to add green chilly to make coconut masala. Instead of that you can add green chilly at the time of boiling the vegetable. Try to avoid water when grinding coconut.
Use little water for cooking the vegetables. Do not use seasoning. When the Avial is complete just pour some coconut oil on it. Add some curry leaves. Close the lid of the vessel for some time.
Actually the pictures of your “Avail” remind me, my mother’s “Pineapple Pullisserry” preparation. Just search for the recipe.
Thank you
Asha
dassana says
thanks asha for your inputs and suggestions. this will surely help the readers who will make the recipe at home.
i googled images for pineapple pullissery and weird the images are so similar 🙂
Neela says
Dassana for traditional avial, vegetables like gherkins and colacasia is never used and for grinding only green chillies and lots of coconut is used which has to be grinded into a smooth paste, red chillies a big no no and the coconut oil is to be added lastly then only the flavour lasts. If you add cumin the taste will overpower the aroma of the other ingredients, but i must say that you have really taken pains to post the pictures , blogs and the step by step measurements of all receipes diligently, hats off to you. My good wishes to you, keep posting.
dassana says
thanks neela for your inputs on the preparation of traditional avial. this will surely help the readers.
this avial recipe is the way my mother makes it and has been making it for many years now.
also thanks for all your positive and encouraging comments.
Maria says
Hey nice recipe My mom also make similar avial kudos to you
Natalie says
Oh wow, this sounds amazing and I love all your step by step pictures they are beautiful and useful!! Kerala is the top of my wish list of places to visit, for the food and the beauty of the place.
chinmayie @ love food eat says
Avial has been a childhood favorite of mine! There is something about the combination of vegetables here which makes this special! Haven’t cooked this in a while so will make is sometime soon 🙂
oh la la says
Thanks for posting this recipe for a while now….I will surely make this one!!