Avial is one of the main dish in Sadya Lunch Menu. Avial pairs up well with rice and is a popular combo with Adai. Avial is popular in South India and is quite commonly made on festive days, marriages and at home for a grand lunch.
About Avial
Avial means steamed and specifically mean steamed vegetable side dish in curry form. Avial is made by cooking different veggies along with coconut, cumin seeds, green chili mixture then mixed with thick curd and finally seasoned with coconut oil and curry leaves. Avial is a marriage of the veggies in coconut, curd that is unique in taste & could be relished as subzi / curry / gravy with the degree of dilution. Adai with Avial is a great combination that is quite popular at hotels. Avial is a colorful delight in banana leaf & a must in Onam Sadya. Aviyal is a traditional side dish that is believed to have been invented by Bheema from the period of Mahabharata. It seems he made Aviyal and impressed King Virata to gain entry into the king’s kitchen during the exile of Pandavas. Avial is an assortment treat of vegetables. Each of the veggies subtly loses themselves in coconut & curd bringing up a unique assortment of taste that even people who have aversion with veggies like them. Avial is one of the vegetable side dish that I savor a lot and till date it is one of my favorite. I am not good at eating vegetables- so from my childhood days, amma always sneaks in whatever ways possible and this aviyal is one among them. I love it with plain rice and even accompany it with any spicy variety rice. There are so many variations to avial recipe which includes Tamil Nadu style, Kerala style includes malabar avial, palakkad aviyal etc. I have shared Tamil Nadu style and Palakkad style avial recipes.
Avial Video
Avial – 2 ways
I have made Avial in 2 ways – One is the common Avial that we make at homes and another one is the authentic Kerala style Aviyal from Palakkad. The color, texture and consistency is the main difference in both the recipes. In Palakkad style, we do not add Turmeric powder, hence it is very whitish in color. The Palakkad style Avial is thick & made as a curry and best suited as a side for rice meal and Adai.
Avial Recipe Ingredients
Vegetables – There is no right or wrong in the vegetables that we add for making Avial. I have used yam, carrot, beans, ash gourd, drumstick. How ever you can add other vegetables like raw mango, cucumber, raw banana, pumpkin,peas etc. You can add or skip any of them based on the availability & seasonality of veggies. Coconut mixture – Coconut along with cumin seeds and green chilies are blend to make a coarse mixture. Curd – Seasoning Avial with curd give a unique taste to Avial. Do not skip it and add it in excess with coconut to make Avial as a gravy which can be mixed with rice and consumed. Coconut oil – Coconut oil adds a great flavor to avial so do not skip it. Curry leaves – Raw curry leaves are added at the final stage which makes avial more flavorful.
How to make Avial Step by Step
1.Cut all the vegetables rinse them well and keep it ready. For palakkad avial these 5 vegetables are used – carrot, yam, drumstick, ash gourd and cluster beans. However you can use other preferred vegetables too.. Make sure to cut them lengthwise like shown. Measure 2 heaped cups of vegetables and set aside. 2.To a mixer jar, add 1/2 cup coconut, 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds and 2 green chilies. Add little water. 3.Grind to a coarse mixture like this, Set aside. 4.First add yam and drumstick as they are tough to cook vegetables so we are adding them first. Add 3/4 cup water and salt to taste. 5.Cook until half cooked. Now add beans and carrot. 8.Cook covered until almost done. 9.Now add ash gourd finally. 10.Give a quick mix and cook covered until it turns soft. 11.Add prepared coconut mixture. 12.Mix it well. 13.Adjust with salt at this stage. 14.Mix it well cook until raw smell leaves. It takes 5-7 minutes. Switch off. 15.Once the flame is off add 1/3 cup thick curd. 16.Mix it well add few curry leaves and 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil. Mix well and your avial is ready! Serve with rice and curry.
Avial (Aviyal Recipe)
Tamil Nadu Style Avial is slightly different in taste and texture. Have shared this version too here.
Ingredients
2 and 1/2 cups mixed vegetables chopped I used potato, yam, carrot, beans, ash gourd, cucumber, raw mango, drumstick, raw banana 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder 1/4 cup thick curd salt to taste
To grind to a coarse paste:
1/2 cup coconut 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 green chili
To temper:
1 and 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil few curry leaves
Method
Serve with steamed rice or as a side dish for any variety rice.
Expert Tips
Make sure to have all the vegetables cut with similar size so that cooking will be uniform. Cut the veggies lengthwise not too small as it will get mushed up easily. There is no specific quantity for each veggie – add it as per your choice. The consistency of avial can be adjusted as per your preference. The key to a perfect avial is to cook each vegetable perfectly. Also grind the coconut mixture coarse and not too smooth. Adding coconut oil enhances the flavor and gives it the traditional kerala avial taste so don’t skip it.
Serving & Storage
Enjoy Avial with rice meal or Adai! Consume on the same day of making Aviyal as coconut is added & curd become sour with time. However it keeps well in fridge for 2 days.
1.Why veggies are not cooked all at the same time?
Different veggies have different cooking time – hence we add them in stages so that the easy to cook ones does not get mushy & dissolved in the curry. The longer to cook ones are cooked halfway when the next set of slightly longer to cook veggies (Beans, carrot) are added and finally the easy to cook veggies (ash gourd) are boiled.
2.I do not have stock of varieties of veggies – Can I make avial?
The more the number of veggies – the better the taste. However you can make a perfect Avial with a minimum of 3 vegetables, coconut & curd seasoning.
3.Can I use leftover veggies for this recipe?
Avial is the best tasty way to consume all the leftover veggies in the refrigerator. If you have any more questions about this Avial Recipe do mail me at [email protected]. In addition, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest ,Youtube and Twitter . Tried this Avial Recipe? Do let me know how you liked it. Also tag us on Instagram @sharmispassions and hash tag it on #sharmispassions.
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