Avial — Kerala Mixed Vegetables in Coconut and Curry Leaf

Other Fast With Oil Published June 13, 2026

Avial is the centerpiece of the Kerala sadya, the great banana-leaf feast, and it earns that place. A medley of firm vegetables — yam, plantain, carrot, beans, drumstick — is bound in a thick paste of fresh coconut, green chili, and cumin, then finished with a fistful of curry leaves bloomed in coconut oil. The yogurt of the original is replaced here with tamarind and a touch of raw mango, which gives the same bright sourness without any dairy. It is creamy, tangy, faintly sweet from the coconut, and substantial enough to carry a plate of rice on its own.

On oil days the coconut oil tempering at the end is essential — it is the soul of the dish. For strict no-oil days, skip the tempering and simply stir the curry leaves into the hot vegetables; you lose the perfume but keep the substance. There is no fish version; this is a vegetable dish through and through.

FASTING LEVEL: Fast With Oil (adaptable for strict days — see notes)
SERVINGS: 4
TIME: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

- 1 cup (150g) ash gourd or zucchini, cut into batons
- 1 cup (150g) carrot, cut into batons
- 1 cup (120g) green beans, cut into 4cm pieces
- 1 cup (150g) yam or potato, cut into batons
- 1 raw green plantain, peeled and cut into batons (optional)
- 1 cup (90g) fresh grated coconut (or frozen, thawed)
- 2 green chilies
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 tablespoons raw mango, chopped (or 1 tablespoon tamarind paste)
- Salt, to taste
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (omit for strict days)
- 1 sprig curry leaves (about 12 leaves)

METHOD

1. Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a wide pot with the turmeric and salt. Add the firmer vegetables first — yam, plantain, carrot — and cook 6 minutes. Add the beans and ash gourd and cook another 6-8 minutes until everything is tender but still holding shape. The water should mostly cook off.

2. While the vegetables cook, grind the coconut, green chilies, cumin seeds, and raw mango with a splash of water into a coarse, thick paste.

3. Stir the coconut paste into the cooked vegetables. Add a little water if needed to make it cling rather than soup. Simmer gently for 3-4 minutes, stirring carefully so the vegetables stay intact. Taste for salt and sourness.

4. For the tempering (oil days): heat the coconut oil in a small pan, drop in the curry leaves, and let them crackle for 10 seconds. Pour over the avial and fold through. For strict days, simply stir the raw curry leaves into the hot avial.

5. Cover and let sit 5 minutes for the flavors to settle. Serve with steamed rice.

NOTES

- The traditional avial uses thick yogurt for sourness — tamarind or raw mango gives the same brightness and keeps it fasting-compliant.
- Drumstick (moringa pods) is the classic vegetable here; use it if you can find it, cut into 6cm logs and added with the firmer vegetables.
- For more protein, fold in a cup of cooked chickpeas with the coconut paste — untraditional but it makes a complete meal.
- Do not overcook; avial should have texture, not collapse into mash.