Aviyal / Avial – Mixed Vegetables with Crushed Coconut and Yogurt

Posted on | August 24, 2010 | 16 Comments |

Aviyal
If you follow my photo blog, you might already know that I made a mini-Sadya for the grand Kerala festival Onam yesterday. Avial is an integral part of the traditional Kerala Sadya line-up. I don’t know why I make Avial only when there is a sadya, it is one of the easiest vegetable dishes to make. It is so easy, that there is a legend that this dish was invented by Bhima (a prince from Hindu Mythology) who had to pretend to be a cook during his thirteenth year of living in exile. Bhima, who was born in the lap of luxury, obviously didn’t know how to cook anything, so he just chopped up all the vegetables he could find in the kitchen, boiled them and topped with grated coconut. That’s how the Avial was born!

Great story, but I think a more likely story is that it was invented by some resourceful Malayali woman whose good-for-nothing husband forgot to bring home groceries one night as he had an extra bottle of toddy from the local toddy shop that night. She had to scout for all the bits and pieces of leftover vegetables in the kitchen and make up something tasty and filling for her young son who needed all the energy to study for his exams. After all, he was going to be her ticket out of this hellhole, once he gets that coveted Government job. So she had to make sure he gets his nutrients, and that is how Avial was born!

But I digress! Let’s get back to the recipe, shall we? I feel that Avial is Kerala’s version of Ratatouille. It really is a bunch of random vegetables cut up to the same size and shape, layered and cooked. In this version, the vegetables are mixed with crushed coconut and spices and some kind of souring agent – mango, tamarind or yogurt. Most people I know use green mangoes in avial, but personally I hate mangoes in Avial. Yogurt is my preferred souring agent, I have never made it any other way! The vegetables used also vary depending on the availability and personal preferences, but I feel that drumstick is a must have vegetable in Avial. I found fresh drumsticks at the Indian store this time, I’ve always had to settle for the frozen variety before. If you can’t find drumsticks, don’t worry, it tastes pretty good even otherwise. I have listed the vegetables I used, but feel free to use anything else that you can find- like zucchini, squash, yard long beans, yam etc.

Ingredients

1 drumstick
2 carrots
1 large white potato
1 green plantain
1 snake gourd
a few green beans
1 eggplant
6 green chilies, slit (or to taste)
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
3/4th cup fresh/frozen grated coconut
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 cup sliced shallots
a few curry leaves
2 tbsp oil (coconut oil is the best, I used olive oil, oh the blasphemy )
1/2 cup thick yogurt

Method

Split the drumsticks in half and cut into 1” pieces. Peel the carrots, potatoes and plantain and cut into thin 1” long pieces. Cut the snake gourd and eggplant also into the same size and shape. Break the edges of the green beans and cut into the same size. Split the green chilies in half.

Arrange all the vegetables in a large pan, add the chili powder, turmeric powder, salt and split the green chilies. Add 1 tbsp water and 1 tbsp oil. Cover and cook on very low heat till the vegetables are tender. The vegetables should give out some liquid, but check the pan occasionally to make sure there is enough liquid to cook the veggies.

While the vegetables are getting cooked, place the grated coconut, shallots and cumin seeds in a food processor and process it for a few seconds to make a coarse mixture.

Once the vegetables are cooked, add the coconut mixture, curry leaves and the remaining tbsp of oil to the pan, mix gently and cover and cook on low heat for 4 more minutes.

Stir in the yogurt and let it gently heat through for a minute or so. Remove from the heat and serve warm.

Category: India - Kerala, Vegetarian

Pin It

Subscribe to RSS

Follow me on Facebook

Follow me on Twitter

Follow me on Pinterest

« « Giveaway Announcement – Win $100 or a Cookbook!| Restaurant Review – Masa’s, San Francisco » »

Comments

16 Responses to “Aviyal / Avial – Mixed Vegetables with Crushed Coconut and Yogurt”

Divya
August 24th, 2010 @ 11:10 pm
Reply

I always thought making Aviyal was a tough job,until I started making it.One of my fave quick-fix curries.I like it even more because many of our friends think that too much effort goes into making it..lol!!
Swati
August 25th, 2010 @ 12:02 am
Reply

I love ur version…. so that he gets that government job… sounds completely logical … i lve love love avial but i dont make it coz it involves assorting too many veggies etc…. how r u doing sig… came in after ages… and good read i got… i like d kadhai….
nisha
August 25th, 2010 @ 2:03 am
Reply

sig the 2nd bit sounds like a mallu movie
I love avial, but i ahve always thought its really difficult to make, most because the veggies required are never available.
Arch
August 25th, 2010 @ 2:27 am
Reply

Like your version about the origin of avial I love avial, but am always so lazy to make it…Yours sounds simple and I have all the vegetables for a change, have to give this a try…
Mamatha
August 25th, 2010 @ 6:22 am
Reply

I never used to make Avial until recently. My Indian grocery store carries frozen Avial vegetables and it’s a cinch to make it. I’ve never used shallots in Avial before. Should try your version sometime.

Adai-Avial is an awesome combination.
Manju
August 25th, 2010 @ 10:24 am
Reply

LOL at the movie like history of how you think Avial might have come into being..but I cannot help but agree with you on that
smitha
August 25th, 2010 @ 3:38 pm
Reply

i cheated and made it with a packet of frozen avial vegs that u get at indian stores…. but yeah i threw out the mango. ;>
Anu
August 25th, 2010 @ 4:56 pm
Reply

Your version sounds yum! I have to try it soon. Thx for sharing
Remya Sushanth
August 25th, 2010 @ 6:50 pm
Reply

Hi Sig,

Avial is d most favourite dish in my family. My hubby just loves it… The only problem that i see is that if Avial is on d menu, then your vegetable tray becomes empty… The very thought of going to the vegetable shop again gives me creeps But having said all this, I never back out from making it. It goes great with Moru kootan . Thats my combi
Miri
August 25th, 2010 @ 9:26 pm
Reply

Thats the version I heard too from MIL (sans the forgetful husband bit though I simply love avial and make it atleast once a month. There’s something about the flavour of all those vegetables together with the coconut and yoghurt mixture which makes it irresistible.

The kadal full of veggies looks so appealing
Jayashree
August 25th, 2010 @ 9:53 pm
Reply

I like your story better than the Bhima one. Here’s a different version that I’ve heard…..once there was a sadya and after all the guests had left, there was only rice left. And then another guest walked in….the cook did some quick thinking….chopped up all the veggies that were left over….ground some coconut and curd….added it to the cooked veggies…and that’s how avial was born.
Siri
August 26th, 2010 @ 9:18 am
Reply

LOL for the story about the wife . Avial is a nice way to finish all those tid bits of veggies in the freezer corner. looks delicious.

Siri
kanthi
October 4th, 2010 @ 4:13 am
Reply

Avial looks tempting and yummlicious ,my favourite dish..
coupon codes
April 25th, 2013 @ 5:16 pm
Reply

Hi! I’ve been reading your site for a long time now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from Huffman Texas! Just wanted to tell you keep up the fantastic job!