Why this recipe works
Avial is a clever way to eat a lot of vegetables gently. Firm vegetables are just-cooked to keep their bite and nutrients, then bound in a coarse paste of coconut and cumin, with curd for a mild tang. The curd goes in off the heat so it does not split, and a spoon of raw coconut oil and curry leaves at the very end is the unmistakable Kerala finish.
Ingredients
Method
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1
Cook the firm vegetables in a little water with turmeric and salt until just tender, not soft.
Why just-tender: barely cooking the vegetables keeps their texture, colour and more of their vitamins, avial should have bite, not mush.
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2
Grind the coconut, cumin and green chilli to a coarse paste and fold it through the vegetables.
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3
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the whisked curd.
Why off the heat: curd curdles if it hits a hard boil, its proteins seize, so adding it off the heat keeps avial smooth and creamy.
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4
Finish with a spoon of raw coconut oil and fresh curry leaves.
Why raw oil: stirred in uncooked at the end, coconut oil keeps its full aroma, the signature perfume of a Kerala avial.
An honest word
Avial is a genuinely good way to eat a wide variety of vegetables in one dish, gently cooked so they keep their goodness. The only thing to note is the coconut: fresh coconut and a spoon of coconut oil bring saturated fat, so it is used to flavour and bind, not by the bowlful. As a vegetable-packed side with rice, it is a nourishing, balanced choice.