Avial (Mixed Vegetables with Coconut and Cumin)
An assortment of vegetables cut into sticks, barely cooked, bound by a coconut paste with cumin and soured with yogurt (or green mango). Finished with a drizzle of raw coconut oil and curry leaves. Creamy, fresh, fragrant.
An assortment of vegetables cut into sticks, barely cooked, bound by a coconut paste with cumin and soured with yogurt (or green mango). Finished with a drizzle of raw coconut oil and curry leaves. Creamy, fresh, fragrant.
Avial is the art of the right proportion — and you know how I value that. Too much cooking, and the vegetables collapse; not enough, and they remain raw: you must catch them at the right moment, as one records a data point before it drifts. You grind the coconut with a little cumin and green chili, bind it all with something sour — yogurt or green mango depending on the season — and crown it with raw coconut oil and curry leaves. On sadya days, it is what everyone awaits in the middle of the banana leaf. Taste it warm: it speaks all the more.
- •Assorted vegetables (yam, green plantain, yardlong beans, cucumber, drumstick/moringa) — one basket (base)
- •Fresh grated coconut — half a coconut (binder)
- •Cumin seeds — a pinch (spice)
- •Green chili — a few (spice)
- •Sour yogurt or green mango — to taste (acidity)
- •Raw coconut oil — a drizzle (finish)
- •Curry leaves — one sprig (aromatic)
- •Turmeric — a pinch (spice)
Avial (Mixed Vegetables with Coconut and Cumin)
An assortment of vegetables cut into sticks, barely cooked, bound by a coconut paste with cumin and soured with yogurt (or green mango). Finished with a drizzle of raw coconut oil and curry leaves. Creamy, fresh, fragrant.
Why this dish? Avial is the heart of every Kerala sadya, the festive feast of great occasions that the Mani family knew. A generous vegetarian dish that brings together a dozen vegetables, it embodies the cuisine of the south — rice, vegetables, coconut — which Anna Mani kept as a habit.
Avial is the art of the right proportion — and you know how I value that. Too much cooking, and the vegetables collapse; not enough, and they remain raw: you must catch them at the right moment, as one records a data point before it drifts. You grind the coconut with a little cumin and green chili, bind it all with something sour — yogurt or green mango depending on the season — and crown it with raw coconut oil and curry leaves. On sadya days, it is what everyone awaits in the middle of the banana leaf. Taste it warm: it speaks all the more.
Ingredients (period version)
- Assorted vegetables (yam, green plantain, yardlong beans, cucumber, drumstick/moringa) — one basket (base)
- Fresh grated coconut — half a coconut (binder)
- Cumin seeds — a pinch (spice)
- Green chili — a few (spice)
- Sour yogurt or green mango — to taste (acidity)
- Raw coconut oil — a drizzle (finish)
- Curry leaves — one sprig (aromatic)
- Turmeric — a pinch (spice)
Ingredients
- Mixed vegetables (carrot, green beans, zucchini, green plantain, yam) — 700 g total (base)
- Grated coconut — 120 g (binder)
- Cumin seeds — 1 tsp (spice)
- Green chilies — 2 (spice)
- Plain yogurt, slightly sour — 120 g (acidity)
- Virgin coconut oil — 2 tbsp (finish)
- Curry leaves — 1 sprig (aromatic)
- Turmeric powder — 1/2 tsp (spice)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Cut all vegetables into uniform sticks about 5 cm long.
- Cook them in very little water with turmeric and salt, starting with the firmest (yam, plantain), until tender but whole.
- Coarsely grind the coconut with cumin and green chilies (with little to no water).
- Add this paste to the vegetables, mix gently, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Off the heat, add the beaten yogurt and adjust salt.
- Pour the raw coconut oil, sprinkle curry leaves, cover for 5 minutes before serving.
How it was made : In the traditional sadya served on a banana leaf, avial occupies a central place. It was prepared with seasonal vegetables from the garden and green mango when yogurt was unavailable. The coconut was grated by hand on a curved blade scraper (cheenavala/coconut scraper), a daily gesture in every Kerala kitchen.
The contemporary twist : Choose vegetables with contrasting colors (orange carrot, green bean, cream plantain) for a fan-shaped presentation on a half banana leaf.
Sources : K. T. Achaya, A Historical Dictionary of Indian Food, Oxford University Press, 1998 · Ammini Ramachandran, Grains, Greens, and Grated Coconuts, 2007
Anna Mani · Charactorium