Photo: Dolon Prova · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Tamilnadu · Lunch

Avial (அவியல்)

Traditional 15. Avial recipe

🧺 Ingredients

• 1 raw banana, peeled, cut into 4 cm batons
• 2 drumstick pods, cut into 4 cm pieces
• 1 medium carrot, cut into 4 cm batons
• 100 g suran / elephant yam, peeled and cut into 4 cm batons
• 100 g raw jackfruit pieces (if available)
• 10 French beans, cut into 4 cm pieces
• 1 medium cucumber or ash gourd, cut into 4 cm batons
• 1 small raw mango, cut into 4 cm batons (optional — adds slight sourness)
• 1 medium potato, peeled and cut into 4 cm batons
• 1.5 cups fresh coconut, grated
• 4 green chilies
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ¼ cup thick curd (yogurt)
• 4 tbsp water (for blending)
• 2 tbsp coconut oil (ESSENTIAL — avial uses coconut oil, NOT sesame oil)
• 10–12 curry leaves
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp salt (more to taste)
• ¼ tsp curd — added at end

👩‍🍳 How to make Avial

1. All vegetables should be cut into identical finger-length pieces (4 cm × 1 cm batons).
2. Uniformity ensures even cooking.
3. Keep harder vegetables (yam, raw banana, potato) separate from softer ones (cucumber, raw mango).
4. In a wide, heavy pan, place the harder vegetables (yam, raw banana, potato, carrot) in a single layer.
5. Add ½ cup water, ½ tsp turmeric, and ½ tsp salt.
6. Cover and cook on medium heat for 8–10 minutes until just tender but still holding their shape.
7. While vegetables cook, blend grated coconut with green chilies, cumin seeds, and turmeric.
8. Add 4 tbsp water.
9. Blend to a very smooth paste.
10. Add thick curd to the smooth coconut paste and blend for 5 more seconds to incorporate.
11. Open the pan.
12. Most of the water should have cooked away from the vegetables.
13. Add the coconut-curd paste over the vegetables.
14. Stir very gently — do not break the cooked vegetables.
15. Mix until all vegetables are coated with the cream-white coconut paste.
16. Cook on very low heat for 3–4 minutes — the coconut paste should heat through but NOT boil (the curd will curdle if boiled).
17. Add remaining ½ tsp salt.
18. Taste.
19. Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil in a small pan over high heat until shimmering.
20. Add curry leaves — sizzle for 10 seconds.
21. Pour the entire coconut oil + curry leaves over the avial.
22. Toss very gently.
23. Remove from heat.
24. Avial should be served at room temperature or slightly warm — it is NOT a piping-hot curry.
25. The coconut oil and curry leaves on top are visible as a finishing touch.
26. Serve as a major side dish in the Tamil Nadu banana leaf meal.

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