Kerala Avial with Mixed Vegetables

A thick Kerala-style medley of plantain, yam, moringa, beans, carrot and cucumber, coated in a fresh coconut, cumin and yogurt sauce and finished with curry leaves.

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Kitchen Handi editorial adaptation of Kerala Avial for an ordinary home saucepan. Regional and core-method source: Kerala Tourism, https://www.keralatourism.org/kerala-food/avial/1/ . Detailed staging cross-check: Dassana Amit, https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/avial-recipe-kerala-avial-recipe/ . The vegetable weights, water range and beginner checks are Kitchen Handi's adaptation; not kitchen-tested. Storage: cool promptly and refrigerate in shallow containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 32°C, at 4°C or below. Use within 3–4 days and reheat leftovers to 74°C; because this version contains yogurt, reheat gently and do not repeatedly cool and reheat. Food-safety sources: https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep-food-safe/4-steps-to-food-safety and https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/cold-food-storage-charts .

Ingredients

• 150 g Carrot (peeled and cut into 5 cm batons about 1 cm thick)
• 150 g Green beans (trimmed and cut into 5 cm lengths)
• 200 g Raw plantain (peeled and cut into 5 cm batons; keep in water until needed)
• 100 g Elephant foot yam (peeled and cut into 1.5 cm batons)
• 200 g Mangalore cucumber or ash gourd (peeled, seeded if necessary, and cut into 5 cm batons)
• 100 g Moringa pod (drumstick) (lightly scraped and cut into 5 cm lengths)
• 120 g Fresh grated coconut (unsweetened; thawed frozen coconut is suitable)
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 2 piece Green chillies (stems removed and roughly chopped)
• 350 ml Water (divided; use only as much as needed)
• 0.5 tsp Ground turmeric
• 1.25 tsp Fine salt (start with 1 teaspoon and adjust at the end)
• 200 g Plain whole-milk yogurt (fresh, not sour; beaten smooth)
• 1.5 tbsp Coconut oil
• 12 piece Fresh curry leaves (washed and dried)

Step-by-step method

1. Prepare all the vegetables to the listed sizes. Keep the cut raw plantain in water so it does not darken, then drain it before cooking. If elephant foot yam irritates your skin, wear food-safe gloves while peeling it.
2. Blend the grated coconut, cumin and green chillies with 125 ml of the water to a coarse paste. Stop before it becomes completely smooth; scrape down the blender as needed.
3. Put the yam, moringa pieces and drained plantain in a wide heavy saucepan with the turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt and 175 ml water. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over medium-low heat for 10–12 minutes.
4. Add the carrot, beans and cucumber or ash gourd. Fold gently, cover again and cook for 8–10 minutes. Check twice; add some of the remaining 50 ml water only if the pan is drying. The vegetables should become tender but keep their shape.
5. Fold in the coconut paste without breaking the batons. Simmer uncovered for 5–7 minutes, stirring gently once or twice, until the yam and plantain have no firm or chalky centre and the sauce clings to the vegetables. Add a splash of hot water only if needed.
6. Take the saucepan off the heat and let it stand for 2 minutes. Stir a spoonful of the hot vegetable mixture into the beaten yogurt, then fold the tempered yogurt into the saucepan. Do not boil after adding yogurt, or it may split.
7. Heat the coconut oil in a small pan over medium-low heat. Add the dry curry leaves carefully and cook for 20–30 seconds until aromatic; stand back because they may splutter. Pour the oil and leaves over the avial and fold once.
8. Cover and rest for 5 minutes. Taste and add some or all of the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt if needed. Serve warm with freshly cooked rice; rice is a separate accompaniment and is not included in this recipe's time or quantities.