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Avial - South Indian Veggie Coconut Curry
5 from 36 votes

Avial - South Indian Veggie Coconut Curry

Avial is a South Indian vegetable curry featuring a variety of chopped veggies cooked and combined with a spiced coconut sauce made from fresh or dried coconut, green chilies, cumin, turmeric, and water. The dish is finished with a mustard seed, green chili, and curry leaf tempering in oil, delivering a mild, creamy curry with herbal notes. It highlights subtly spiced, steamed vegetables in a coconut base.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 185 kcal
Course: Side Dish, Main Course
Cuisine: Indian, Vegan, gluten-free

Ingredients

Veggies:
  • 2.5 to 3 cups vegetables such as potato, white pumpkin, carrots, green beans, summer squash, indian local squash, drumsticks(moringa tree pods), raw banana/plantain etc, chopped
  • Turmeric dash
  • salt dash
Coconut Sauce:
  • 1/2 cup coconut fresh or dried, shredded
  • 1 green chili 2 for hotter
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp Turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp cumin seeds or ground cumin
  • 1/2 cup water
Tempering:
  • 1 tsp neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
  • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 green chili chopped
  • 7 to 8 curry leaves

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Cube the vegetables to about similar size. Add to a bowl and toss in a good dash of salt and turmeric.
  2. Cook the veggies: Steam the veggies for 15 to 20 minutes in a steamer or until cooked. Or add to a saucepan with 1/2 cup water, cover and cook over medium heat for 12 to 15 mins. Or add to a Pressure cooker/Instant Pot with 1/2 cup water and pressure cook for 2 mins, release naturally. (for quicker cooking vegetables like raw plantain, cook the separately if needed to avoid mush, or add to the saucepan half way through).
  3. Blend the coconut, green chilies, spices and water to make a coarse mixture . The chilies and cumin should have blended. (If using dried coconut, blend for 30 seconds, then let the mixture sit for 5 mins to rehydrate, then blend again for 30 seconds to a min. Blend longer for smoother sauce).
  4. Add the blended mixture to the cooked veggies and bring to boil over medium heat. (on saute if using Instant Pot). Take off heat. (You can add 1/4 cup non dairy yogurt or 1 tsp tamarind paste with the coconut mixture for a sour profile). Taste and adjust salt, heat, flavor. Add more water if needed.
  5. Make the tempering: Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds carefully and wait for them to start to sputter. Add the green chilies and curry leaves and mix for a few seconds. Then take off heat.
  6. Add the tempering to the veggies and serve hot with flatbread, rice, dosa, or adai.

Notes

  • Use fresh, frozen, or dried curry leaves according to availability; fresh or dried are both suitable.
  • The recipe yields roughly four servings, making it practical for family meals.

Nutrition Information

Calories 185kcal (9%) Carbohydrates 24g (8%) Protein 5g (10%) Fat 8g (12%) Saturated Fat 6g (30%) Sodium 425mg (18%) Potassium 713mg (15%) Fiber 6g (24%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin C 20.6mg (23%) Calcium 50mg (5%) Iron 5.5mg (31%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 185

% Daily Value*

Calories 185kcal 9%
Carbohydrates 24g 8%
Protein 5g 10%
Fat 8g 12%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Sodium 425mg 18%
Potassium 713mg 15%
Fiber 6g 24%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin C 20.6mg 23%
Calcium 50mg 5%
Iron 5.5mg 31%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.