Kerala Avial (Aviyal) Recipe

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Avial (aviyal) is a mild Kerala mixed vegetable curry with a coconut, shallot, and curry leaf paste, with tamarind for tang. Made with easily available vegetables like carrots, potato, and green beans, this recipe works well as a side dish or as part of an Onam sadya spread.

Servings servings

Ingredients

2 carrots peeled
1 potato medium-sized, peeled
10 green beans
1 cucumber small, peeled [See Note 1]
¼ eggplant [See Note 1]
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1½ teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
2 teaspoons coconut oil
tamarind pulp 1 inch, about the size of a cherry
2 tablespoons hot water
1 cup grated fresh coconut fresh or frozen, thawed [See Note 3]
¼ cup shallots chopped, or onion
1 to 2 green chilis to taste
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ to ¾ cup water
6 curry leaves
½ cup water
10 curry leaves
1 tablespoon coconut oil virgin, unrefined

Instructions

Cut 2 carrots, 1 potato, 10 green beans, 1 cucumber, and ¼ eggplant into 2 x ½ inch sticks. [See Note 1]
Mix ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder, and 2 teaspoons coconut oil with vegetables. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
In a small bowl combine tamarind pulp with 2 tablespoons hot water. Break up the tamarind with your fingers. Set aside. If using tamarind concentrate, start with ½ teaspoon and you can add more later to taste. [See Note 2]
In a blender or food processor, process the 1 cup grated fresh coconut, ¼ cup shallots, 1 to 2 green chilis (or to taste), and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, with enough water to get the contents moving freely (about ½ to ¾ cup water). It should be the consistency of thick pesto (more than thoran, less than parippu). Right at the end, add 6 curry leaves and briefly process so they are roughly chopped.
Combine the cut vegetables and ½ cup water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and cook the vegetables over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the potato is cooked but still firm. Strain the solids from the reserved tamarind and stir in the liquid. Cook for another 5 minutes.
Stir the coconut mixture into the cooked vegetables. Add a tablespoon or two of water if the mixture is too thick. Turn the heat down to low, and heat through for 5 minutes. Don’t let it boil. This curry doesn’t have much liquid, but should not be too dry. [See Note 4]
Sprinkle in the remaining 10 curry leaves and 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Don’t stir. Cover until ready to serve. Stir just before serving. [See Note 5]

Notes

Note 1: Cut all the vegetables about 2 inches long and ½ inch thick so they cook evenly. If you can find raw plantain and drumstick, replace one of the carrots with ½ raw plantain and ½ drumstick. Use fresh vegetables. Frozen ones tend to turn mushy, except frozen drumsticks (muringakka), which can be added towards the end of cooking. Globe eggplants are fine, but Indian eggplant is better if you can find it. You can also use zucchini instead of cucumber.

Note 2: For more on tamarind paste, see my tamarind paste post. If you're using tamarind concentrate (e.g. Tamicon brand) instead of pulp, start with ½ teaspoon and add more at the end, to taste. A little goes a long way.

Note 3: Fresh coconut is best, but frozen (thawed) coconut works well. Grind the paste coarse, like a thick pesto, not too smooth. If you only have desiccated (dried, unsweetened) coconut, soak it in warm water for 15 to 20 minutes or longer, until softened. Squeeze it dry with your hands before using.

Note 4: Avial doesn't have much sauce, but it shouldn't be too dry. The coconut should coat the vegetables. The vegetables release their own liquid, so add water only if it looks dry, a tablespoon at a time. It also gets drier as it sits.

Note 5: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in the microwave. Avial doesn't freeze well. You can grind the coconut mixture ahead of time and refrigerate it until you're ready to cook.

Nutrition