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Kerala aviyal served in a wooden bowl placed over a wooden platter. A serving ladle and a sprig of curry leaves placed around the bowl.
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5 from 1 vote

Aviyal

This classic mixed vegetable curry from Kerala has a robust coconut based spice paste and tastes great with hot rice or even Rotis and Dosas.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Cooling time20 minutes
Course: Main Course, Mains
Cuisine: Kerala, South Indian
Servings: 8
Calories: 188kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Heavy bottomed 5 quart pan such as a Dutch oven or a 6 qt Instant Pot ( Refer instructions for stove top and instant pot method)
  • 1 Blender
  • 1 mixing spoon
  • 1 Whisk
  • 1 set of measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients

Vegetables

  • 70 grams taro roots peeled and chopped into thick roundels
  • 80 grams yam peeled and chopped into even sized pieces
  • 1/2 cup peeled and chopped carrots
  • 50 grams green beans
  • 50 grams field beans
  • 50 grams cluster beans
  • 2 drumsticks (moringa) chopped into even sized pieces
  • 1/2 cup peeled and chopped unripe plantain
  • 1/4 cup chopped raw mango
  • 50 grams purple eggplants stalks removed and quartered
  • 300 grams winter melon peeled and chopped
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 5 to 6 cups water
  • salt to taste

Spice paste

  • 1.5 cups fresh coconut grated (1 cup =240 ml)
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 4 to 5 green chilis
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 tbsp sour yogurt

For finishing

  • 3/4 cup whisked sour yogurt
  • 3 tbsp cold pressed coconut oil
  • 25 curry leaves

Instructions

Prep work

  • Wash, peel and chop the taro roots, yam and unripe plantains.
  • Dunk all of them in a bowl of water to prevent them from discoloring.
  • If you are using eggplants, remove the stalks, quarter them and add them to the water as well.
  • Chop the remaining veggies evenly into bite sized pieces. Set aside.

Make the coconut paste

  • To a blender, add the fresh coconut, cumin seeds, green chillies, yogurt and coconut oil.
  • Blend to a slightly coarse paste. Set aside.

Instant Pot Aviyal

  • Drain the taro, yam, plantains and eggplants in a colander.
  • Insert the inner pot into the Instant Pot.
  • Arrange the drained veggies in one layer in the inner pot. Now, place the remaining chopped veggies in a single layer.
  • Add turmeric and salt along with 1 cup water. Stir once.
  • Plug in the Instant Pot, press PRESSURE COOK- HIGH PRESSURE and SET THE TIMER TO 4 MINUTES. TURN THE VALVE TO SEALING.
  • Wait for the cooking cycle to complete. Immediately, do a quick pressure release by turning the VALVE to VENTING.
  • When done, allow the dish to cool down fully.
  • Stir in the coconut paste along with the whisked yogurt. Mix well.
  • Finish with a drizzle of coconut oil and tip in the curry leaves.

Stove top method

  • To a deep and heavy bottomed pan, add 3 to 4 cups water. You will need enough water to immerse the chopped veggies.
  • Add turmeric and salt to the water.
  • Now add the chopped veggies. Stir to mix well.
  • Cook this on medium heat until the veggies are cooked but can hold shape. This takes roughly 10 to 12 minutes, depending on how the veggies have been chopped.
  • When done, drain the water used for cooking the veggies.
  • Return the cooked veggies to the pan and while the veggies are warm, add the ground coconut paste.
  • Mix gently using a wooden spoon, taking care not to break the veggies in the process.
  • Now, allow the mixture to fully cool down. When cool, stir in the yogurt.
  • Finish with a drizzle of coconut oil and add the curry leaves.
  • Serve at room temperature.

Notes

  1. Use only unsweetened fresh coconut for this recipe. You can find frozen unsweetened fresh coconut in the frozen vegetables aisle in Indian grocery stores or Asian stores.
  2. If you cannot source all the veggies listed in the recipe, you can still make this dish with just moringa (drumstick), winter melon (white pumpkin), yam, unripe plantains, carrots and beans.
  3. This dish has to be made in coconut oil. No other oil will give you that real Avial feel. 
  4. There is no tempering involved in this recipe. Again, there are regions in Kerala where they do temper this dish with mustard seeds and curry leaves. But in my version, we will simply finish this with a generous drizzle of coconut oil and plenty of curry leaves.
  5. Please refer the 'Recipe Notes' column in the blog post for more useful tips and tricks.

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

Nutrition

Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 107mg | Potassium: 365mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1754IU | Vitamin C: 77mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 2mg
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