Aviyal Recipe- Kerala Sadhya Style Mixed Vegetable Curry

Aviyal is a traditional dish of Kerala typically made with assorted vegetables. It is a colorful dish and is healthy too. It is an indispensable curry for Kerala Sadhya. If you are new to Kerala Sadhya, it is a hearty meal, a vegetarian feast made on festive occasions. It is always served, on a banana leaf with rice, pickles, chips, and curries ranging from mild to spicy vegetable curries. Aviyal is a filling and less spicy vegetable curry. Aviyal is a Kerala specialty dish but, you can find aviyal in Tamilian feasts too.

Aviyal is a mixed vegetable curry cooked in ground coconut and yogurt sauce and flavored with cumin, coconut oil, and curry leaves. You can add as many vegetables as you like. Traditionally we use raw plantains, yam, snake gourd, ash gourd, eggplant, cluster beans, yard beans, drumsticks (moringa), pumpkin, carrots, Chembu( taro), raw mango and pearl onions, etc. I love the flavor of the dish, it is mild with little or spice at all! The flavor comes mainly from grated coconut, coconut oil, and curry leaves. Ayival tastes best with steamed rice. Aviyal and lentil adai is a famous combo in some parts of Trivandrum. In this recipe, I have used yogurt as this is how it was made at home. You can easily make this recipe dairy-free or vegan. Skip yogurt and use raw mango or tamarind pulp instead for the slightly sour and tangy taste. The tempering with mustard seeds is wholly optional. You can finish off with some crushed curry leaves and fresh coconut oil. Aviyal is a delicious and healthy recipe. Give this recipe a try and let me know how it turned out for you :) Happy cooking!

Aviyal Recipe- Kerala Sadhya Style Mixed Vegetable Curry

Ingredients
To grind
Shredded Coconut- 1 cup
Yogurt- 3-4 tsp
Cumin- 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Garlic pods-2
Shallots- 3-4

Vegetables
Plantain-1,
Potato- 1 small
Carrot- 1,
Yam sliced- 1/2 cup
Ash gourd- 1/2 cup
Snake gourd, Chembu( taro)- 1 cup
Yard Beans- 1/2 cup
Drumsticks- 5-6 pieces
Cluster beans- 1/3 cup
Green chilly - 4-5
Green mango- a few pieces.

Mustard seed- 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves
Red chilly-2
Coconut oil- 2 tsp

Chop vegetables into long slices ( thickness and length-size 3/4 of your index finger).

(Note: You can cut all vegetables and keep them together except mango. If you are adding mango, add it only when the vegetables are almost cooked and soft, especially check the plantain. Otherwise, the vegetables will not get properly cooked. If you do not like mangoes, you can add one tomato at this stage or 1/2 cup of yogurt along with the ground coconut later)

Add salt, one tsp of coconut oil, and 1/2 cup of water cover and cook till vegetables are tender but not mashed up. Cover and cook and stir in between. Make sure it does not stick to the bottom. If necessary, sprinkle a little bit of water

Grind all the ingredients listed under to grind into a fine paste with very little water and add to the cooked vegetables. Gently stir in the coconut mixture and simmer for another two minutes.
(Note: If adding yogurt add at this stage)

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add red chilly and curry leaves and fry for a minute. Pour this over the curry and mix well. Aviyal is ready. Serve with rice.

( Traditionally for the Sadhya there will be no seasoning. After adding the coconut mixture simmer for two minutes. Add fresh curry leaves and drizzle a little coconut oil on top)