Indian · Kerala · side

Avial (Mixed Vegetables in Coconut and Sour Curd)

Avial (Mixed Vegetables in Coconut and Sour Curd) reads sweetness 4.6, richness 4.1 and salinity 3.6 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Indian · Kerala side, about 34 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 4.1 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 5.5 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 2.9 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.6 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 4.8 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 3.7 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Sweetness 4.6 · Richness 4.1 · Salinity 3.6 · Heat 3.3 · Fruity 3.0 · Sourness 2.6 · Funk & Ferment 2.5 · Earthy 2.5 · Warm Spice 2.4 · Nutty 2.3 · Herbaceous 2.3 · Umami 2.1 · Citrus 1.1 · Floral 1.1 · Bitterness 1.1

What's in it (15)

• ash gourd — 150 g
• elephant yam — 100 g
• plantain — 100 g
• carrot — 100 g
• green beans — 100 g
• drumstick — 100 g
• turmeric — 3 g
• water — 200 g
• salt — 9 g
• coconut — 150 g
• cumin seeds — 5 g
• green chilies — 400 g
• plain yogurt — 200 g
• coconut oil — 41 g
• curry leaves — 2 g

Time & effort: about 34 min · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 80.5 kcal, 1.3 g protein, 5.7 g fat, 7.2 g carbs

Dietary: Vegetarian · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (6 steps)

1. Put the yam, plantain and carrot into a wide pot with the water, turmeric and salt and cook 6 minutes, then add the ash gourd, beans and drumstick and cook a further 6 to 8 minutes. The vegetables should be tender but square-edged; avial is judged on whether the batons still hold their shape.
2. While they cook, grind the coconut coarsely with the cumin and green chillies and 2 tablespoons of water. The grind should be gritty, not smooth.
3. Fold the coconut mixture into the vegetables, shake the pot rather than stir it, and cook 4 minutes until the coconut smell turns sweet.
4. Take the pot off the heat, let it stop bubbling, then stir in the whisked yogurt. Yogurt added to a boiling pot will curdle and there is no rescuing it.
5. Finish with the raw coconut oil and the curry leaves, crushed between your palms as they go in. Avial has no tempering at all; the raw oil and raw leaves stirred through at the end are its entire perfume, and heating them would be a different dish.
6. Cover and leave 10 minutes before serving with red rice.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Uchepos con Crema y Rajas — Mexican · Michoacán
• Xitti Kodi (Saraswat Fish Curry with Kokum, No Onion or Garlic) — Indian · Goa
• Idli with Thengai Chutney — Indian · Tamil Nadu
• Sindhi Kadhi (Roasted Gram Flour and Tamarind Vegetable Stew) — Indian · Sindhi
• Samosa — Indian

Keep reading: what sweetness, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.