🥘 Avial – From Hate to Heart

🌸 My Avial Story

Avial… frankly speaking, I don’t know why I hated this amazing veggie mix, the true speciality of Kerala. For me, it always felt like my mom’s clever way of torturing me by putting all the vegetables I disliked into one dish. I would wrinkle my nose at the sight of it on the banana leaf.

But life has a funny way of changing our taste buds—and our hearts. After marriage, I was shocked to realize how much I missed this dish. It felt like even Avial hated me back for ignoring it all those years, because no matter how many times I tried, I could never get it to taste like my mom’s.

Yet, love wins. Slowly, patiently, and with many experiments, I finally cracked it. Today, I proudly say that my Avial competes with my mom’s recipe—believe me, that’s no joke!

Of course, I make it my own way. I don’t add every single traditional vegetable (and definitely not the raw banana 🙈), but I always add potato—my anytime favorite. That’s the magic of Avial—it welcomes everyone’s touch.

🌿 Ingredients (my version, serves 4–5)

• 1 potato, cut into long sticks (my favorite twist ✨)
• ½ cup elephant yam (chena)
• ½ cup ash gourd (kumbalanga)
• ½ cup cucumber (vellarikya)
• ½ cup drumsticks (muringakka, cut into 2-inch pieces)
• ½ cup carrots / beans
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ cup grated coconut
• 2–3 green chilies
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 1 cup curd (slightly sour)
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• A few curry leaves
• Salt to taste

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👩‍🍳 Method

1. Cut & Cook Vegetables
   • Slice all veggies into uniform 2-inch sticks.
   • Cook yam, ash gourd, drumsticks, potato, and others with turmeric, salt, and little water till just tender.
2. Make Coconut Paste
   • Grind coconut, cumin, and green chilies into a coarse paste.
3. Mix Everything
   • Add the paste to the veggies, mix gently, and simmer for 2 minutes.
4. Finish with Curd
   • Add beaten curd, stir lightly, and switch off (don’t boil).
5. Season with Love
   • Drizzle coconut oil, toss in curry leaves, and mix.

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🍲 Serving

Serve steaming hot Avial with rice and pappadam, or spread it proudly as part of the Onam Sadya.

💚 For me, Avial is no longer “mom’s torture dish.” It’s my comfort bowl of Kerala memories, with a potato twist.