Aviyal is a traditional South Indian dish made with a mix of vegetables like raw banana, yam, drumstick, brinjal and carrot. Which is cooked with coconut, green chilli, cumin and shallots paste. This dish has a mild and creamy texture with a subtle tang from Raw mango or tamarind. A final tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves in coconut oil adds rich aroma and authentic taste.
This Aviyal recipe is a staple in Onam Sadhya and Tamil weddings. This dish has lot of vegetables so it is packed with lot of fibre and nutrients, which is perfect for a balanced vegetarian meal. This Aviyal goes good with rice, sambar and adai.
Aviyal Recipe
One of the most common recipe which mom makes several times a week is this avial. This is one of the staple recipe in our house and i love it so much. I have a version of malabar avial which requires just few alterations, I have shared that in the variation section of this post. Since Onam is around the corner, you can include this in the onam sadya menu list.
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Avial plays a main part in our south Indian meal. Without it no marriage or festival menu is complete. We make avial with a whole lots of veggies and a whole lot of method. But this mixed vegetable avial is the king of all avial. Already i have a avial recipe here, that is my mom's recipe. I too have different avial recipe like mango avial, drumstick avial.
About Aviyal
This Aviyal recipe has a unique place in South Indian cuisine. Each vegetable used in this dish have a different texture and flavour but when combining the veggies with the coconut paste they blend well and form a flavourful dish. This recipe has a very mild spices so it is a gut friendly dish. The minimalism, healthy benefits make this recipe a favourite one for everyone in South households.
Each households may have its own version of recipe, some prefer it semi dry other with curry like consistency. The beauty of this Aviyal recipe is it can be made using seasonal vegetables or the vegetables which are leftover in our kitchen.
My Amma's Tip for Avial
When I asked my mom for this recipe, she gave me few important points which she insisted me to mention in the post.
- Don't add salt to the vegetables in the beginning. This will make them tough and not cook properly.
- Add turmeric powder twice so it gets nice colour and flavour.
- If you use very sour mango, neglect the tamarind or taste the avial and add in the end.
- Don't add too much water while cooking the vegetables. Add little and cook them.
Similar Recipes
Why this recipe work?
- This Aviyal recipe have a balanced flavors. The natural sweetness of vegetables, mild heat from green chillies and tanginess from Raw mango or tamarind create a rounded taste.
- In this recipe we only use minimal spices. This recipe relies on fresh ingredients instead of heavy masala, which allows the original vegetable flavours to shine.
- Aviyal is rich in nutrients. It includes a variety of fiber rich seasonal vegetables making this dish a healthy one.
- We can use any combination of available vegetables making this dish as a versatile and kitchen friendly recipe.
Why I love this recipe - I love this recipe because of its simplicity. Everything is cooked in one pot which makes it quick to prepare and easy to clean up. This dish is not only for rice it also goes good with adai or chapathi. Adai Aviyal is famous in South Indian cuisine. Aviyal is a great way to use leftover vegetables in a healthy and delicious dish. This Kerala style Aviyal is always a highlight in Onam Sadhya and other festival feasts.
Ingredients
Vegetables ( Main Ingredients) - Avial has mixed vegetables like Raw banana/ Vazhakkai, brinjal, drumstick, potato, carrot, yam, cucumber, string beans, snake gourd, cluster beans, raw mango are the vegetables used in avial.
Turmeric powder: It adds colour and mild earthy flavour to the dish.
Tamarind Pulp: It adds a depth and sourness to the Aviyal, especially if mango isn’t used.
For Grinding - Coconut is the heart of the recipe. Which gives a rich, creamy texture and natural sweetness to the Aviyal. Along with coconut chillies, shallots and cumin is added.
For tempering: Coconut oil, mustard, curry leaves are used for tempering.
Hacks
- Slice all the vegetables lengthwise and in similar sizes for even cooking and a neat look.
- To save the time, use the pressure cooker to cook the vegetables. Just one whistle is enough for the vegetables.
- Keep the vegetables slightly firm to maintain the texture and avoid a mushy consistency.
- Always use thick bottom pan. This helps to prevent burning or sticking of the vegetables.
- For the authentic Kerala flavour drizzle coconut oil after turning off the heat.
Avial (Step by Step Pictures)
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| Prepare your veggies |
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| Take all ingredients for blending in a mixer |
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| Make into a coarse puree |
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| Take all veggies in a pan |
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| Sprinkle some turmeric |
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| Mix well |
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| Pour in water |
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| Amma presses the veggies down, so it cooks evenly |
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| Now time to cook |
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| Cover and cook |
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| Cook till the veggies are half done |
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| Add in raw mangoes |
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| Season with salt |
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| Cook again |
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| Add the coconut masala |
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| Sprinkle little more turmeric |
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| Pour some tamarind |
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| Cook |
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| Till done |
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| Heat oil |
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| Add in mustard seeds |
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| Throw in curry leaves |
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| Done |
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| Pour over the avial and mix |
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| Serve |
Variation
This version of Aviyal is little bit different but it has the same ingredients as normal Aviyal except curd. This is usually made in and around Kerala with few changes as mentioned below.
- Don't use turmeric powder. This avial is usually white in colour.
- Instead of tamarind, we use curd for sour taste. Make avial as usual, once it is ready take it off the heat and mix in curd.
- Skip tempering, add coconut oil and curry leaves in the end and turn off heat.
Expert tips
- Use fresh coconut for best flavour.It gives natural sweetness and authentic taste comparing to frozen or desiccated coconut.
- Layer the vegetables wisely. Add harder vegetables like raw banana,yam and carrot first. Then add the softer ones like brinjal, pumpkin.
- Don’t stir too much. Gently mix after adding the coconut paste to prevent breaking the vegetables.
- Adjust the water according to your preference. If you want thick or semi dry add little water.
Avial Variety
Drumstick Aviyal: I love this version because of its strong flavour. The soft pulp blends well with the coconut masala. This tastes best with hot rice and little ghee.
Beans and Potato Aviyal: This is a quick and tasty combo. Potatoes soak up all the flavours and beans gives a nice crunch. This is a perfect recipe when you don’t have many veggies at home.
Vendakkai Aviyal: This has a unique taste. I slightly saute the ladies finger so it doesn’t get sticky. This Aviyal mixes beautifully with the coconut and tastes great with rice.
Raw Mango Aviyal: Usually I make this recipe when raw mango is in season. It gives a lovely sour kick without tamarind. It is fresh, tangy and perfect for summer days.
FAQ
Q: Can I make Aviyal without coconut?
No. Coconut is the key ingredient in traditional Aviyal. Skipping it will change the taste.
Q: Can I add curd to Aviyal?
Yes. In some versions a little curd is added at the end for a tangy taste.
Q: Why my Aviyal is watery?
Adding too much water or over cooking the vegetables can make it watery. Use just enough water to cook the veggies.
Q: Can I make Aviyal with fewer vegetables?
Yes. Even 2-3 veggies are enough to make a tasty Aviyal.
Q: Can I store Aviyal?
Yes. But it taste best jn the same day. Storing in the fridge for one day is ok.
Q: Can I skip Tamarind or Mango?
Yes, but the dish will taste a bit flat. A little sourness balances the flavour beautifully.
Q: Can I pressure cook the veggies?
Yes. But just for 1 whistle. Too much pressure can make the vegetables too soft.
📖 Recipe Card
Avial Recipe | Kerala Aviyal Recipe
Equipment
- Cooking pot
- Blender
Ingredients
- ½ no Raw Banana peeled and cut lengthwise
- ½ cup Brinjal cut lengthwise
- ½ cup Drumstick cut lengthwise
- 1 no Potato cut lengthwise
- 1 no Carrot cut lengthwise
- ½ cup Elephant Yam | Chena Kizhangu cut lengthwise
- ½ cup Cucumber cut lengthwise
- 5 no String Beans cut lengthwise
- 5 no Cluster Beans | Kothavarangai cut lengthwise
- 1 cup White Pumpkin cut lengthwise
- ½ cup Snake Gourd | Pudalangai cut lengthwise
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- ½ cup Water
- ½ cup Sour Raw Mango cut lengthwise
- 2 teaspoon Tamarind Pulp
- Salt to taste
For Grinding
- 3 cups Coconut grated
- 3 no Green Chilli
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 2 no Shallots | Sambar Onion
For Tempering
- 2 tablespoon Coconut Oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1 sprig Curry Leaves
Instructions
- Pre-prep: Wash, Peel and cut all the vegetables lengthwise. Grate the fresh coconut. Peel the shallots and gather green chillies and cumin seeds. Soak tamarind in water and squeeze to extract tamarind juice.
- Grinding : Grind coconut, green chillies,cumin seeds and shallots into a slightly coarse paste without adding water.
- Making: In a thick- bottomed pan add all the chopped vegetables. Add turmeric powder and add just enough water to cover the veggies. Press lightly with your hand so the veggies are immersed, then cover with lid. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 mins until vegetables are half cooked. Add raw mango pieces and salt. Mix well, cover again and coo for 5 more minutes.
- Mixing Coconut paste : Once the veggies are fully cooked add the ground coconut paste and tamarind pulp. Mix gently and cook for 5 mins on low heat until flavour blends.
- Tempering : In a small pan heat oil, add mustard seeds and let them splutter then add curry leaves. Pour the tempering over the Aviyal and mix gently. Serve hot with steamed rice.
Nutrition
If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @aarthi198689@gmail.com and I’ll help as soon as I can.
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zareena
My all time favorite dish. Looks perfect.
zareena
My all time favorite dish. Looks perfect.
Rathi
What kind of brinjals did u use? Green or purple?
Aarthi
@RathiIt is purple brinjal
sujata pawar
Perfect 🙂
Alka Malvankar
It is excellent, sumptuous, healthy meal!
Raza
Nagercoil Aviyal is one of my favorite dish.
I used to think this as a difficult dish to cook but you explained it in simple way. It came exactly like how it was expected. Thanks 👍