No Onam sadya is complete without avial. Vegetables are cut into neat batons, cooked until just tender, then folded into a coarse coconut paste and a little sour curd. The final, essential touch is raw coconut oil and fresh curry leaves stirred in at the end — that aroma is what makes avial taste like Kerala.
Ingredients
- 3 cups mixed vegetables cut into 2-inch batons — raw banana, yam (suran), ash gourd, drumstick, carrot, beans and cucumber are traditional
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- ½ cup thick curd, slightly sour, whisked
- 15–20 curry leaves
- 2 tbsp VedSaras Wood Press Virgin Coconut Oil
- For the coconut paste: 1 cup grated coconut, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 2–3 green chillies, 2 shallots (optional)
Method
- Grind the coconut, cumin, green chillies and shallots to a coarse paste with very little water.
- In a wide pan, cook the firmer vegetables (yam, raw banana, drumstick) with turmeric, salt and ½ cup water for about 5 minutes.
- Add the softer vegetables and cook until everything is just tender but still holds its shape.
- Add the coconut paste, mix gently and cook for 3–4 minutes until most of the water is absorbed.
- Lower the heat and stir in the curd. Switch off the heat as soon as it is warmed through — do not let it boil, or the curd may split.
- Finish with the coconut oil and curry leaves. Cover and rest for 10 minutes so the aroma settles in. Serve with rice and sambar.
Kitchen tips
- Cut all the vegetables to a similar size so they cook evenly.
- The raw coconut oil at the end is not optional — it is the signature of the dish.
Made with
VedSaras™ Wood Press Virgin Coconut Oil
Clear, with the gentle aroma of fresh coconut — slow-pressed in a wooden ghani. Available in 1000 ml and 500 ml.
View the oil
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