What is Avial?
If you’ve never heard of avial before, it’s a delicious veggie-packed recipe cooked in coconut oil and flavored with aromatic curry leaves. All the vegetables are coated in a sauce made with grated coconut and yogurt. You can easily make this recipe dairy-free, paleo, whole30, or vegan by using coconut yogurt instead of regular yogurt – it’s a perfect substitute! I’ve tried this dish many times using regular yogurt and coconut yogurt, and trust me, it’s a winner either way. The great thing about making avial in an instant pot is that you can cook all the vegetables together in the same amount of time, and they turn out perfectly. I love making this easy mixed vegetable dish whenever we have guests over – it always seems to impress friends who aren’t used to eating a variety of Indian vegetables. And that brings me to my next point…
What Vegetables to Use in Avial?
Avial is typically made with assorted vegetables such as unripe plantain, unripe green mango, carrots, green beans, cucumber, pumpkin, taro root, potatoes. It’s also often made with moringa, which is better known as “drumstick.” If you use drumsticks in this recipe, you are to eat the soft pulpy inside and then discard the fibrous exterior – it’s similar to eating artichoke leaves. You can find drumsticks and a variety of other Indian vegetables in the frozen aisle of any Indian grocery store. You can also find frozen unsweetened grated coconut at your local Indian store. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to veggies, so feel free to use what you have/like.
Avial is a Must During Keralite festivals!
While you can (and should) make and enjoy avial any time, this dish is a must during special occasions or festivals. It’s always served during Onam, a big harvest festival, as part of the sadya, a vegetarian feast typically served on a banana leaf. Here’s a picture of my little family during Tony’s first Onam festival at the temple in Pittsburgh. My husband (who is Keralite) considers avial to be his favorite vegetarian dish (he likes it even more than Green Bean Thoran, which is saying a lot). It’s a childhood favorite of his, so whenever I make it, it makes his day. Thankfully, the instant pot allows me to make his day pretty often. I hope you all love it as much as he does! Like this recipe? Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board now so you will remember to make it later!
