Avial or Aviyal as its popularly known in South India is loaded with different kinds of vegetables cooked in yogurt & coconut gravy, topped with coconut oil. This mixed veg curry tastes delicious with steamed rice and can be made under 30 minutes.
What is avial?
Avial or Aviyal as its popularly known in Southern India is a mixed veg curry loaded with a variety of vegetables and cooked in yogurt & coconut gravy, topped with edible coconut oil. It's a favorite of many, which is why it's one of the main dishes to be served on all grand occasions like weddings or festivals. There are many different versions of this mix veg curry based on where you are from - Kerala, Tirunelveli Tamil Nadu. Even the color of it changes from region to region. Also since this avial recipe has been passed down from generations, it does see some variations in the ingredients and the way it's prepared.
Who invented it?
There is an interesting story behind its invention. Aviyal was invented by one of the Pandavas - Bheem from the famous Indian mythology called Mahabharata. So the legend goes that while the Pandavas were in exile, they took turns to cook. Once when it was Bheem's turn, there weren't enough vegetables for him to cook and serve them all so he just mixed and boiled whatever veggies he had at hand and added curd and coconut to it to make this dish. That is how he created this mixed veg curry! I do not know how true this story is, but it surely makes an interesting read. Don't you agree?
A family favorite meal
Since everyone in the family loves this authentic mixed veg curry, it gets made on nearly every festive occasion like Onam Sadhya, Weddings, feasts, family get-togethers and special weekends. Since KR and I love this coconut gravy with vegetables so much, that I end up making it frequently. It helps that it is super easy to make!
Avial recipe
Like I mentioned earlier, there are many variations to this recipe based on the region you are from and the way your family makes it. Despite being Tamil Brahmins, both my mom and MIL have a different way of making this coconut gravy. I shall try to put down the variations below for you to understand better.
- In southern Kerala, turmeric is used which gives it the yellow color and for sourness, mango or tamarind is used. In northern Kerala, turmeric is not added and the sourness comes from yogurt.
- There is no tempering done in Kerala avial.
- No cumin is added to coconut while grinding.
- Whereas in Tamil Nadu, (this is based on how my family makes it), we add no turmeric which is why our aviyal is white in color. We also make it with yogurt, add cumin while grinding coconut and give it a final tempering in coconut oil.
- The curry can be very thick, made with long cut vegetables or little thin (this is how I make it) to serve with rice.
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Why is it a good dinner option?
- This avial recipe is a great way to use leftover veggies
- Don't need to add any boiled lentils in it as you do for Sambhar or Rasam so the cooking process is very quick.
- The primary method used in making this recipe is boiling, so you end up using very little oil in the recipe.
- Some of the veggies used in this recipe are not eaten on a regular basis so this recipe brings in new flavors and new nutrients.
- Very appetizing to look at, thanks to the different colors of the vegetables and the contrast of coconut gravy with it.
- It is a very easy and simple recipe to make.
- It is vegetarian and gluten-free.
- A one-pot meal.
- It can be made under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
This is a mixed veg dish, so it calls for many vegetables. But feel free to use whatever veggies you have at hand to make it. Here is a suggestive list of veggies that goes in the avial recipe.
- White Pumpkin
- Carrot
- Beans
- Raw Plantain or Vazhaikkai
- Potato
- Chow-chow
- Brinjal
- Colocasia or Arbi/Seppan Kilangu
- Drumstick
- Yam or Senai
- Cluster beans
- Green peas
- Ash Guard
Points to note - Cut the veggies into long finger chips style and the curry should hold the texture of the veggies. Do not mash them while cooking.
Besides a mix of vegetables, you would need coconut and yogurt as the other main ingredients.
How to cook Aviyal
Avial recipe is very easy. You just all the ingredients one after the other and it's ready!
- Grind the fresh coconut, cumin seeds and green chillies to a fine paste.
- Keep this ground paste aside for now.
- In a cooking pan, add water and all the veggies along with salt and curry leaves. Bring it to a boil on a medium flame. Cook till the veggies are done.
- While the veggies are getting cooked, add whisked curd/yogurt to the ground paste. Mix it well.
- Once the veggies are done, add this paste to the pan. Mix it well.
- Cook for another 5 minutes. Drizzle edible coconut oil.
- Give a tadka or tempering of mustard seeds in coconut oil or ghee and pour it over the prepared avial. (Please note, this is an optional step).
Remove the coconut gravy from the fire and keep covered till serving.
What is Aviyal eaten with?
It is normally served as a main course. Serve it hot with steamed rice and Sambhar, and enjoy your meal. It is also popularly served with Adai. Adai avial is an extremely loved food combo!
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Tips to make the best Avial
Having seen the women in my family make it all the time, I have picked up some tips and tricks that I follow when I prepare this easy South Indian style meal. Here they are:
- Use as many veggies from the list provided. It tastes better with many vegetables. At Indian grocery stores, in the frozen section, you will find an Aviyal mix bag of veggies. You can use that. It's pre-cut and ready to use. Saves a lot of time.
- Use freshly grated coconut in the recipe. But if that is unavailable to you, you unsweetened desiccated coconut or shredded coconut. You can also use coconut milk, although I have never tried it.
- Skip adding cumin seeds while grinding the coconut masala if you like it that way. The paste should be coarse. Add little water while grinding. Add a jalapeno instead of green chillies if that's available to you.
- While cooking the veggies, ensure that they don't get overcooked and turn mushy. They need to hold their shape and that is what gives this dish its unique texture. One way to ensure that is to keep adding the vegetables to the boiling water according to the cooking time, i.e. the longer cooking vegetables first and the quicker ones last. The amount of water you add while they are boiling depends on the curry consistency you want. If not sure, add water to just above the level of veggies. Add more as an when needed. Or steam them. You can use water washed out from rice (arisi mandi) for cooking veggies.
- To fasten the cooking time, you can pressure cook all the veggies together too for just two whistles with very little water or cook them in an Instant Pot.
- Sour curd is normally used but you can also use Greek yogurt. You can even use sour cream. I have never used it though. Whisk the yogurt-coconut mixture before adding it to the pan. Some do not mix them together but add them separately. You can try that as well. Remember to add the yogurt mixture in the end and not cook or boil it for long after adding it. Or it will begin to curdle. Drizzling coconut oil, in the end, is what takes up the flavor many notches. Do not skip that.
- To make it vegan, boil the veggies in tamarind water and add cut mangoes along with the other veggies. That way, you can skip adding yogurt. Tempering aviyal is a personal preference. It tastes great when it is slightly spicy and creamy.
Fan of South Indian recipes?
If you have loved this avail recipe, then do try some other recipes from the South Indian cuisine.
- Navy Beans Sundal
- Tamarind and Lentil Soup/Rasam
- South Indian Medu Wada | Lentil Fritters
- South Indian Spinach & Lentils Keerai | Kootu | Curry
- South Indian Spicy Potato Fry Curry.
If you do try this Authentic Avial recipe or any other recipe from the blog, please let me know. I welcome your comments, star ratings, tweaks, and suggestions.
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How to make South Indian Style Avial Recipe
Ingredients
To make the coconut paste
- 1 cup fresh coconut
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 4 green chillies
To prepare Avial
- 2 cups of mixed veggies - drumsticks, yam, suran, cucumber, snake gourd, long beans, green peas, carrots, potatoes, curry leaves
- 4 cups water
- Salt as required
- 1 cup thick curd/yogurt
- 1 tbsp edible coconut oil
For tempering
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
Instructions
To make the coconut paste
- Grind the fresh coconut, cumin seeds and green chillies to a fine paste.
- Keep this ground paste aside for now.
To prepare Avial
- In a cooking pan, add water and all the veggies along with salt and curry leaves. Bring it to a boil on a medium flame. Cook till the veggies are done.
- While the veggies are getting cooked, add whisked curd/yogurt to the ground paste. Mix it well.
- Once the veggies are done, add this paste to the pan. Mix it well.
- Cook for another 5 minutes. Drizzle edible coconut oil.
For tempering
- Give a tadka or tempering of mustard seeds in coconut oil or ghee and pour it over the prepared avial. (Please note, this is an optional step).
- Remove from the fire and keep covered till serving.
Notes
- Use as many veggies from the list provided. It tastes better with many vegetables. At Indian grocery stores, in the frozen section, you will find an Avial mix bag of veggies. You can use that. It's pre-cut and ready to use. Saves a lot of time.
- Use freshly grated coconut in the recipe. But if that is unavailable to you, you unsweetened desiccated coconut or shredded coconut. You can also use coconut milk, although I have never tried it.
- Skip adding cumin seeds while grinding the coconut masala if you like it that way. The paste should be coarse. Add little water while grinding. Add a jalapeno instead of green chillies if that's available to you.
- While cooking the veggies, ensure that they don't get overcooked and turn mushy. They need to hold their shape and that is what gives this dish its unique texture. One way to ensure that is to keep adding the vegetables to the boiling water according to the cooking time, i.e. the longer cooking vegetables first and the quicker ones last. The amount of water you add while they are boiling depends on the curry consistency you want. If not sure, add water to just above the level of veggies. Add more as an when needed. Or steam them. You can use water washed out from rice (arisi mandi) for cooking veggies.
- To fasten the cooking time, you can pressure cook all the veggies together too for just two whistles with very little water or cook them in an Instant Pot.
- Sour curd is normally used but you can also use Greek yogurt. You can even use sour cream. I have never used it though. Whisk the yogurt-coconut mixture before adding it to the pan. Some do not mix them together but add them separately. You can try that as well. Remember to add the yogurt mixture in the end and not cook or boil it for long after adding it. Or it will begin to curdle. Drizzling coconut oil, in the end, is what takes up the flavor many notches. Do not skip that.
- To make it vegan, boil the veggies in tamarind water and add cut mangoes along with the other veggies. That way, you can skip adding yogurt. Tempering avial is a personal preference. It tastes great when it is slightly spicy and creamy.
Nutrition
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Beautiful vibrant photos and what an interesting recipe! Thanks for all the modification options you gave and step by step!
Thank Farah! Glad you liked it.
I love making avial but didn't really know the regional differences, so thank you for explaining that 🙂 I usually make 2 varieties - one with yogurt (for me) and one without (for the lactose intolerant husband). Lovely clicks.
Thank you so much. Glad it was an insightful read for you. We love avial at home.
I've never heard of avial before so I loved learning about this recipe. I'm always interested in where it originated from and the history of the food.
So true..especially this dish has a very fascinating story on how it was invented 🙂
Such a fun way to make the kiddies eat their vegetables! I love recipes like this. 🙂
I know right! Love how simple yet delicious this recipe is. 🙂
I have never heard of this before, but I love anything with coconut. It sounds delicious.
Yes, its a great way to use whatever veggies you have at hand and create a fun dish!
this sounds really interesting. I'm going to try this for sure! Thanks for sharing on the "What's for Dinner" linky party!
Thank you so much..yes do give it a try and let me know how it was.. 🙂 Thanks for hosting the link party!