Avial (Kerala-Style Mixed Vegetable Curry)

Name: How to Make Avial (Kerala-Style Mixed Vegetable Curry) | Easy & Delicious Avial (Kerala-Style Mixed Vegetable Curry) Recipe
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: kerala

Avial is a traditional Kerala dish made with a medley of vegetables, fresh coconut-cumin paste, and a fragrant coconut oil tempering. Mild, wholesome, and deeply flavorful, it is an essential part of a Kerala Sadya (feast).

prep time 20 Mins

cook time 25 Mins

chef Ankita Singh

Avial is one of Kerala’s most iconic vegetarian dishes—beloved across South India. It’s a gently spiced curry prepared with assorted vegetables like pumpkin, yam, carrots, beans, and eggplants, simmered together until tender yet firm. The defining flavor comes from the ground coconut-cumin-green chili paste, which binds the vegetables into a creamy, fragrant curry. Finished with a drizzle of coconut oil and fresh curry leaves, Avial is aromatic, nutritious, and comforting.
It is traditionally served as part of a Sadya (festive meal) on a banana leaf, but it also pairs beautifully with steamed rice, adai, or even rotis.

Step 1

Cook the Vegetables

In a large pot, bring 1 cup water and salt to a boil.
Add all vegetables (pumpkin, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, eggplants).
Simmer on low heat, partially covered, until tender but not mushy.

Step 2

Make the Coconut Paste

In a mixer, grind coconut, cumin seeds, and green chilies into a fine paste using minimal water.

Step 3

Combine & Thicken

Add the coconut paste to the cooked vegetables.
Stir in the rice-flour slurry and simmer for a few minutes until slightly thickened.

Step 4

Tempering

Heat coconut oil in a small ladle.
Add curry leaves and let them crackle.
Pour this over the avial and mix gently.

Step 5

Serve

Serve hot with steamed rice, adai, or as part of a Sadya feast.

Tips and Tricks

Vegetable Variety: Traditionally, yam, drumsticks, snake gourd, and raw bananas are also added—feel free to mix in seasonal produce.
Coconut Paste: Grind to a very fine texture to coat vegetables evenly.
Consistency: Avial should be thick and creamy, not watery. Add just enough water to cook the vegetables.
Authenticity: Never skip the drizzle of coconut oil—it gives avial its signature aroma.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, rice flour just helps thicken it. You can skip it or substitute with a spoon of yogurt at the end (Tamil Nadu style).

Pumpkin, yam, carrots, beans, raw banana, drumsticks, and snake gourd are most traditional. Avoid watery veggies like cucumber.

It tastes best fresh but can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Reheat gently without boiling.

Calories 150 Kcal

Total Fat 4 g

Carbs 3 g

Protein 28 g

ESSENTIAL ITEMS

4 cups white pumpkin, cut into batons

2 piece medium carrots, cut into batons

2 piece medium potatoes, peeled and cut into batons

2 piece medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into batons

4 piece small eggplants, quartered

0.75 tsp salt

1 cup water

1.5 tsp cumin seeds

3 piece green chilies

2 tbsp water

2 tsp rice flour mixed with water (slurry)

1 tbsp coconut oil

OPTIONAL

0.5 cup fresh coconut, scraped

1 handful fresh curry leaves

Recipe by:

Ankita Singh

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Avial (Kerala-Style Mixed Vegetable Curry)

Tips and Tricks

Frequently Asked Questions

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