Kerala Avial | Mixed Vegetable Coconut Curry

A Kerala-style mixed vegetable curry cooked with yam, raw banana, drumstick, and gourds, finished in a coarse coconut and green chili paste. Mild, simple, and one of the easiest dishes from the Onam Sadya to bring into an everyday meal.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine kerala, South Indian

Keyword avial recipe, kerala avial recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Servings people

Calories 214kcal

Author Puja

Equipment

Ingredients

For the coconut masala paste:

2 cups coconut grated
1 tsp cumin
3-4 green chilies
Water as required, to make a smooth paste

Vegetables:

1 cup raw banana cut and soaked in water
1 cup yam suran
1 drumstick split in half
1 cup beans
1 cup ash gourd
1 cup Madras pumpkin Madras cucumber
1 cup snake gourd
1 cup carrot
1 cup raw mango
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste

Final garnishing:

1 sprig curry leaves
1-2 tbsp coconut oil

Instructions

Cut the raw banana and place it in a bowl of water right away, so it does not darken.
Split the drumstick in half lengthwise to check for insects before adding it to the pot.
In a kadai or wide pot, add the yam, carrot, and raw banana along with a little water, the turmeric powder, and salt.
Cover and cook on medium-low heat until these vegetables are half cooked.
Add the remaining vegetables (beans, ash gourd, Madras pumpkin, snake gourd, raw mango), along with a little more water if needed.
Cover and cook on low heat until all the vegetables are tender but still holding their shape, not falling apart.
While the vegetables cook, grind the coconut with cumin and green chilies, adding just enough water to make a coarse, thick paste. Keep it slightly rough, not silky smooth.
Once the vegetables are cooked through, gently stir in the coconut paste, mixing just enough to coat everything evenly. Avoid over-stirring, or the vegetables will turn mushy.
Turn off the heat, then add the curry leaves and coconut oil. Adjust salt if needed and mix gently one final time.
Cover for 10 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature with rice.

Notes

Raw mango is optional. Skip it if you prefer, or use curd instead for a similar tang.

The drumstick quantity is intentionally small (just one) for aroma rather than bulk.

Add a second if you want more of it in the final dish.

Coconut oil and curry leaves go in at the very end, off the heat, not cooked into the dish.

If the paste turns out too thin, use less water when grinding next time, since a thicker paste coats the vegetables better.

Nutrition