Avial - South Indian Veggie Coconut Curry. Seasonal Vegetables in easy spiced coconut sauce. Serve over rice, flatbread or dosa crepes. Vegan Gluten-free Soy-free Recipe.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 35 minutes
  • Total time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course, Side
  • Cuisine: Gluten-free, Indian, South Indian, Vegan

Ingredients

Veggies:

  • 2.5 to 3 cups chopped vegetables (such as potato, white pumpkin, carrots, green beans, summer squash, indian local squash, drumsticks(moringa tree pods), raw banana/plantain etc)
  • dash of salt and turmeric

Coconut Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut (, fresh or dried)
  • 1 green chili (2 for hotter)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp cumin seeds or ground cumin
  • 1/2 cup water

Tempering:

  • 1 tsp oil
  • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 green chili (chopped)
  • 7 to 8 curry leaves

Method

  1. Cube the vegetables to about similar size. Add to a bowl and toss in a good dash of salt and turmeric.
  2. Cook the veggies: Steam the veggies for 15 to 20 minutes in a steamer or until cooked. Or add to a saucepan with 1/2 cup water, cover and cook over medium heat for 12 to 15 mins. Or add to a Pressure cooker/Instant Pot with 1/2 cup water and pressure cook for 2 mins, release naturally. (for quicker cooking vegetables like raw plantain, cook the separately if needed to avoid mush, or add to the saucepan half way through).
  3. Blend the coconut, green chilies, spices and water to make a coarse mixture. The chilies and cumin should have blended. (If using dried coconut, blend for 30 seconds, then let the mixture sit for 5 mins to rehydrate, then blend again for 30 seconds to a min. Blend longer for smoother sauce).
  4. Add the blended mixture to the cooked veggies and bring to boil over medium heat. (on saute if using Instant Pot). Take off heat. (You can add 1/4 cup non dairy yogurt or 1 tsp tamarind paste with the coconut mixture for a sour profile). Taste and adjust salt, heat, flavor. Add more water if needed.
  5. Make the tempering: Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds carefully and wait for them to start to sputter. Add the green chilies and curry leaves and mix for a few seconds. Then take off heat.
  6. Add the tempering to the veggies and serve hot with flatbread, rice, dosa, or adai.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.