Sides, breads & soups · Kerala

Kerala Avial

A sadya essential: batons of mixed vegetables cooked just tender in a coarse coconut, chilli and cumin paste, soured with curd and finished with raw coconut oil and curry leaves.

Prep 25 min · Cook 20 min · Total 45 min · Serves 4

Ingredients

Vegetables

• 1 Drumstick, in 6 cm pieces
• 1 Raw (green) banana, peeled
• 150 g Elephant foot yam
• 150 g Ash gourd or cucumber
• 1 Carrot
• 100 g Green beans
• ¼ tsp Turmeric
• 1 tsp Salt

Coconut paste

• 1 cup Fresh grated coconut
• 3 Green chillies
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 2 Shallots

To finish

• ½ cup Thick curd (plain yogurt)
• 2 tbsp Coconut oil
• 2 sprigs Curry leaves

Method

1. Cut the vegetables. Cut everything except the drumstick into batons about 6 cm long and 1 cm thick, so they cook evenly and look like a proper avial. Keep the banana in water so it doesn't blacken.
2. Grind the paste. Pulse the coconut, green chillies, cumin and shallots with 2 tbsp water to a coarse paste. It should still have texture, not be a smooth chutney.
3. Cook the hard vegetables. Put the yam, drumstick and banana in a wide pan with the turmeric, salt and 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook on medium for 8 minutes.
4. Add the rest. Add the carrot, beans and ash gourd, cover and cook until everything is just tender but holding its shape. There should be very little water left.
5. Add the coconut. Spread the coconut paste over the vegetables, cover and steam for 2 to 3 minutes. Fold gently with a flat spoon so the pieces don't break.
6. Finish. Take the pan off the heat and fold in the whisked curd. Crush the curry leaves between your fingers over the top, pour over the raw coconut oil, cover and leave 5 minutes before serving with rice and sambar.

Tips

Never boil avial after the curd goes in or it will split. Unrefined coconut oil, added raw at the end, is what makes it smell like Kerala.