Avial or Aviyal is a delicious mixed vegetable curry/stew with coconut and yogurt. Here is my mom’s easy avial recipe that I made in Instant Pot!
Avial, this creamy vegetable curry/stew, is quite popular in South India, especially in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. While there are different versions of this simple avial recipe, today, I am going to share our family version.
You can make it quite easily in Instant Pot and on stove-top as well. Check the different stove-top methods in the recipe details.
Before getting into the recipe details, let me share some of the exciting stories behind the origin of this recipe avial.
Avial and its origin-
Avial origin roots back to the Mahabharatha period. One theory states that Bheema, the second brother of the Pandavas, prepared this dish during their exile period. Bheema was disguised as a cook in King Virat’s palace, and when he had to make a dish for the guests, he mixed all the vegetables and made this aviyal.
There is also another theory. It is said that the King of Travancore prepared this dish with the leftover veggies where there was a shortage of curry. (source – Wiki and NDTV)
Let’s forget the origin, whoever invented this, I can’t thank them enough. Did you notice the interesting fact in these theories? Be it Bheema or the King of Travancore, they just whipped up a recipe with what they have in hand. Cooking is all about that, folks. Just have fun experimenting. :-)
This avial is super easy to prepare, and it’s a perfect bachelor’s recipe too. All you need is some mixed vegetables, coconut, green chilies, yogurt, and salt – five main ingredients, and that’s it. Guess what, Instant Pot makes is much easier. All you have to do is prepare the coconut paste, layer the ingredients, and let IP do its magic. Easy huh?
Now let me answer some of the most commonly asked questions about avial.
Should we temper the avial?
We, in our family (both at mom’s and MIL’s), don’t temper avial. We just drizzle coconut oil towards the end.
But you can find a lot of avial recipes with mustard seed tempering. When it comes to avial, I would say tempering is optional. The temple avial version doesn’t have the tempering, though.
What are all the veggies that we can add in avial?
Usually, seasonal veggies, along with tubers like yam and potatoes, are included. You can add the veggies that you have in hand.
But I don’t add a few veggies, and that’s my personal preference. I skip okra as it makes the avial slimy and also bitter gourd as it changes the taste. The same goes for radish and turnips. I love them in my sambar but not in avial.
I usually cut the veggies into big chunks. You can cut them as length-wise as well. See folks, there are no hard and fast rules. Just work with what you have.
Can I make avial with just one veggie?
Well, then it’s not avial. It will be a kootu, similar to mor kootu / buttermilk gravy. During summers, I usually prepare it with only zucchini, carrots, and frozen peas.
Is turmeric a must or not?
My mom usually doesn’t add any turmeric. She prefers creamy white curry, whereas my grandma and MIL add a pinch of ground turmeric. I add it sometimes and skip it sometimes. For this version, as you can see from pictures, I did not add any turmeric. PS – You can add ⅛ to ¼ tsp of ground turmeric for this measure.
Is there a vegan version of avial?
Yes, you can make avial with tamarind or with raw mangoes. That’s a recipe on its own. I will share it soon. I have tried non-dairy milk varieties, but I am yet to explore non-dairy yogurt. Once I try this recipe with non-dairy yogurt, I will update this post.
Should we add cumin seeds while making the coconut paste?
We don’t add cumin seeds while making the coconut paste. We just grind coconut and green chilies. I love cumin seeds, and you can see me adding more than 2 tsps for my kootu, but for avial, I duly skip it. :-)
How to serve avial?
In Tamil Nadu, adai (lentil crepes) and avial is a favorite combo. But I like my avial with rice and adai with jaggery and ghee. :-) In Kerala, the onam sadya feast is incomplete without avial. It is one of the side dishes in the spread.
In our family, we serve it with plain steamed rice along with a spicy dry vegetable/ kaara kari like stuffed brinjals, potatoes, or yam. I know it’s a lot of vegetables, but hey, we love our vegetables. Don’t worry about any sides. Just relish it with rice for a quick lunch or dinner.
Instant Pot Avial Cooking Time:
Once you have your veggies chopped, you can make this curry in less than 20 minutes. No supervision required.
This timing works when you are not using hard tubers like arbi/taro root and elephant yam. If you are using those two veggies, you can par-boil them first or microwave them even and follow the same timing as mentioned below.
- I went with a low-pressure option and cooked for 5 minutes and released the pressure quickly. The veggies were well cooked, and they hold the shape. The kombucha squash was slightly on the softer side, though.
- If you are using a store-bought avial mix pack, just cook for 2 to 3 minutes in low-pressure mode and release the pressure quickly. You can find the frozen pack in Indian groceries.
- I know LUX models don’t have low-pressure option. In that case, you can opt for high-pressure but with reduced time.
- For the frozen veggie mix, I would recommend 1-minute cooking at high pressure. For regular veggies, two or three minutes should be sufficient. Make sure to release the pressure quickly.
I think I have answered all the questions. I have missed any, please let me know. Now here is the detailed Instant Pot avial recipe with step-wise pictures.
How to make aviyal in Instant Pot-
Prep-Work-
- Grind the coconut, green chilies by adding ¼ cup of water and set aside.
- Chop all the vegetables into chunks and soak in water to prevent discoloration.
Instant Pot Method-
- In to the inner pot of the Instant Pot, first, add ¼ cup water and 1 tbsp coconut oil and spread it evenly.
- Then add the chopped veggies along with 5 curry leaves. Gently spread the masala paste on top. Then add the salt and drizzle the remaining 2 tbsp of water.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and make sure the sealing ring is on. Now cook the avial in Low-Pressure mode for 5 minutes, and once the cooking is done, release the pressure quickly. Check the recipe notes for high-pressure timings.
- Carefully open the Instant Pot lid.
- Now gently mix the avial.
- Next, add the curd/yogurt.
- And mix it. You don’t need to saute it again. Add the remaining coconut oil and the curry leaves. Cover it partially and let the flavors infuse. (PS – Do no cover the avial fully)
- Serve hot with rice or adai.
Stove-Top Method-
Note – You can make avial in two different ways. The main difference between these methods is how and when the yogurt is added. In the first method, we grind the coconut and green chili and mix it with yogurt and add it to the avial. The second method is more like the IP method, we add the coconut paste and let the avial simmer and turn off the heat. Then we add the yogurt.
In both the methods, boil all the vegetables in your preferred way. You can either microwave them or cook in the open-pot method by adding water and cook till the veggies become tender. Make sure the veggies are soft and tender.
Method 1-
- Mix the ground coconut-green chili paste with the yogurt and keep it ready.
- Heat a heavy-bottom pan or kadai add the boiled vegetables and the required salt.
- Add the yogurt coconut paste and mix.
- Let the avial simmer for 5 to 7 minutes over low heat. Mix gently in between.
- Don’t bring the avial to a boil. Just as when the froth forms add the curry leaves and coconut oil and turn the heat off. This is just to make sure the yogurt doesn’t churn out.
Method 2:
- Heat a heavy-bottom pan or kadai add the boiled vegetables and the required salt.
- Add the ground coconut paste and mix.
- Let the avial simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Then turn off the heat. Now add the yogurt and mix well.
- Add the coconut oil and curry leaves and let the flavors infuse.
Recipe Notes-
- I did not add any turmeric. You can add ⅛th to ¼ tsp for this recipe.
- As always, adjust salt and green chili according to your preference and also according to the green chili variety. The one that I used for this recipe was spicy, so two was sufficient for this measure.
- Instant Pot Avial Cooking Time – If you are using a store-bought frozen avial mix, cook it in the low-pressure mode for just 3 minutes and release the pressure quickly. If you are using the LUX model, then you can opt for high-pressure but with reduced time. For the frozen veggie mix, I would recommend 1-minute cooking at high pressure. For regular veggies, two or three minutes should be sufficient.
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📖 Recipe
Avial | Instant Pot Avial Recipe | Mixed Vegetable Curry in Yogurt Sauce
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Mixer jar or coffee grinder
Ingredients
To Grind-
- 1 cup coconut grated. If using frozen, thaw it to room temperature.
- 2 green chilies adjust according to your spice preference
- ¼ cup water
Other Ingredients for Avial-
- 5 cups mixed vegetables chopped into big chunks (I used plantain(raw banana), potato, carrot, brinjal, kabocha squash, and drumstick/moringa pods)
- ¼ cup water + 2 tbsp
- 2 tsp salt or to taste
- 2 tbsp coconut oil divided
- 10 curry leaves divided
- 1 cup yogurt I used Greek yogurt
Instructions
Measurement details - 1 cup - 240 ml, 1 tbsp - 15 ml, 1 tsp - 5 ml
Prep-Work-
- Grind the coconut, green chilies by adding ¼ cup of water and set aside.
- Chop all the vegetables into chunks and soak in water to prevent discoloration.
Instant Pot Method-
- In to the inner pot of the Instant Pot, first, add ¼ cup water and 1 tbsp coconut oil and spread it evenly.
- Then add the chopped veggies along with 5 curry leaves. Gently spread the masala paste on top. Then add the salt and drizzle the remaining 2 tbsp of water.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and make sure the sealing ring is on. Now cook the avial in Low-Pressure mode for 5 minutes, and once the cooking is done, release the pressure quickly. Check the recipe notes for high-pressure timings.
- Carefully open the Instant Pot lid. Now gently mix the avial.
- Next, add the curd and mix it. You don't need to saute it again. Add the remaining coconut oil and the curry leaves. Cover it partially and let the flavors infuse. (PS - Do no cover the avial fully)
- Serve hot with rice or adai.
Stove-Top Method-
- Note - You can make avial in two different ways. The main difference between these methods is how and when the yogurt is added. In the first method, we grind the coconut and green chili and mix it with yogurt and add it to the avial. The second method is more like the IP method, we add the coconut paste and let the avial simmer and turn off the heat. Then we add the yogurt.
- In both the methods, boil all the vegetables in your preferred way. You can either microwave them or cook in the open-pot method by adding water and cook till the veggies become tender. Make sure the veggies are soft and tender.
Method 1-
- Mix the ground coconut-green chili paste with the yogurt and keep it ready.
- Heat a heavy-bottom pan or kadai add the boiled vegetables and the required salt.
- Add the yogurt coconut paste and mix.
- Let the avial simmer for 5 to 7 minutes over low heat. Mix gently in between.
- Don't bring the avial to a boil. Just as when the froth forms add the curry leaves and coconut oil and turn the heat off. This is just to make sure the yogurt doesn't churn out.
Method 2:
- Heat a heavy-bottom pan or kadai add the boiled vegetables and the required salt.
- Add the ground coconut paste and mix.
- Let the avial simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Then turn off the heat. Now add the yogurt and mix well.
- Add the coconut oil and curry leaves and let the flavors infuse.
Notes
- I did not add any turmeric. You can add ⅛th to ¼ tsp for this recipe.
- As always, adjust salt and green chili according to your preference and also according to the green chili variety. The one that I used for this recipe was spicy, so two was sufficient for this measure.
- Instant Pot Avial Cooking Time - If you are using a store-bought frozen avial mix, cook it in the low-pressure mode for just 3 minutes and release the pressure quickly. If you are using the LUX model, then you can opt for high-pressure but with reduced time. For the frozen veggie mix, I would recommend 1-minute cooking at high pressure. For regular veggies, two or three minutes should be sufficient.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.
If you like this Instant Pot avial recipe, then check out my other Instant Pot recipes-
- 25+ Instant Pot South Indian Recipes
- Instant Pot mushroom matar
- White pumpkin coconut milk stew
- Cabbage Kootu
Update Notes: This recipe was originally posted in 2011 but now updated with new pics, Instant Pot method, and recipe cards.
nice easy way to make avial.in insta pot it will taste better if you cut the vegetable in long chopsticks than chunk.
Sure. I will definitely try it next time.
so tempting to taste this one! looks great!
Thanks :-)