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Instant Pot Avial (Kerala Mixed Vegetable Curry)

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Avial, a mixed vegetable curry, is a simple recipe made even simpler thanks to the instant pot.

Instant Pot Avial by myheartbeets.com

If you’ve never heard of avial before, it’s a delicious veggie packed recipe cooked in coconut oil and flavored with aromatic curry leaves. All of the vegetables are coated in a sauce made with grated coconut and yogurt.

You can easily make this recipe dairy-free, paleo, whole30 or vegan by using coconut yogurt instead of regular yogurt – it’s a perfect substitute! I’ve tried this dish many times using regular yogurt as well as coconut yogurt and trust me, it’s a winner either way.

The great thing about making avial in an instant pot is that you can cook all the vegetables together in the same amount of time and they turn out perfectly. I love making this easy mixed vegetable dish whenever we have guests over – it always seems to impress friends who aren’t used to eating a variety of Indian vegetables. And that brings me to my next point…

What Vegetables Should I use in Avial?

Avial is typically made with assorted vegetables such as unripe plaintan, unripe green mango, carrots, green beans, cucumber, pumpkin, taro root, potatoes.

It is also often made with moringa, which is better known as “drumstick.” If you use drumsticks in this recipe, you are to eat the soft pulpy inside and then discard the fibrous exterior – it’s similar to eating artichoke leaves.

You can find drumsticks as well as a variety of other Indian vegetables in the frozen aisle of any Indian grocery store. You can also find frozen unsweetened grated coconut at your local Indian store.

Also, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to veggies, so feel free to use what you have/like.

Instant Pot Avial by myheartbeets.com

Avial is a Must During Keralite Festivals!

While you can make and enjoy avial any time, this dish is a must during special occasions or festivals. It’s always served during Onam, a big harvest festival, as part of the sadya, a vegetarian feast typically served on a banana leaf. Here’s a picture of my little family during last year’s Onam festival at the temple in Pittsburgh – it was Tony’s first time celebrating!

My husband (who is Keralite) considers avial to be his favorite vegetarian dish (he likes it even more than green bean thoran which is saying a lot). He has loved it since he was a kid and whenever I make it, it makes his day. Thankfully the instant pot allows me to make his day pretty often. I hope you all love it as much as he does!

Instant Pot Avial by myheartbeets.com

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Instant Pot Avial by myheartbeets.com

Instant Pot Avial (Kerala Mixed Vegetable Curry)

★★★★★ 5 from 7 reviews
  • Author: My Heart Beets
  • Yield: Serves 3-4
Print Recipe

Description

I love this mixed vegetable dish because it’s so easy to make and it always seems to impress guests who aren’t used to eating a variety of Indian vegetables (such as green plantain, taro root or drumsticks). You can easily find a variety of Indian vegetables as well as grated coconut in the frozen aisle of any Indian grocery store.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds*
  • 30 curry leaves
  • 4 cups assorted vegetables**, cut lengthwise (2-inch long pieces)
  • ½ cup grated coconut***
  • ⅔ cup water
  • 1 Serrano pepper or green chili, slit in half but still intact
  • 1 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ cup yogurt (regular or dairy-free coconut yogurt works!)

Instructions

  1. Press the sauté button then add the coconut oil. Once it melts, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the remaining ingredients to the pot except for the yogurt.
  2. Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 4 minutes at high pressure.
  3. Open the valve to quick release the pressure.
  4. Stir in the yogurt and serve immediately or at room temperature.

Notes

  • *You can leave the black mustard seeds out if you’d like. Some use black mustard seeds when making avial and some do not – I personally like the flavor so I use them but it’s not necessary.
  • **This dish is typically made with assorted vegetables such as unripe plaintan, unripe green mango, carrots, green beans, cucumber, pumpkin, taro root, potatoes. It is also often made with moringa, which is better known as drumstick. If you use drumsticks in this recipe, you are to eat the inside and then discard the fibrous exterior. You can find drumsticks as well as a variety of other Indian vegetables in the frozen aisle of any Indian grocery store.
  • ***Find frozen unsweetened grated coconut at your local Indian grocery store.

 

Comments

  1. What a tasty dish, and the instant pot makes it so quick and easy to make this! I love experimenting with different cuisines and especially different Indian cuisines, and this was amazing! Thanks so much, Ashley!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  2. I can see why this is considered a special occasion or festival dish! I just finished making this with purple potato (probably not the correct name), carrots, plantains, green beans, and coconut yogurt. The aromas and flavors seem truly gourmet! My boyfriend’s mom made avial frequently as he was growing up in India, so I will be eager to see how this version compares…I have a feeling he will rave about it. 🙂

    ★★★★★

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  3. Such a different flavour from the usual veges I make. Love that it doesn’t involve the usual onions and tomatoes. And so quick to make!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  4. Purple potatoes, purple carrots, mango, banana, string beans. This was so good. I loved it and I am about to make it again. I have never tasted anything like it. Thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  5. Ashley, you really gave me the courage to try my favorite in instant pot. It came out awesome. No one could tell that it was made in instant pot.
    I made few changes- didn’t splutter mustard, ground coconut with cumin and added it in the end after pressure cooking ( in sauté mode as it had some water). I usually add Indian store frozen mango ( daily delight brand) or bit of tamarind along while cooking vegetables which I did this time as well. And in the end just before turning off, added a little yogurt somehow I like that texture after adding yogurt.

    Reply

    • Meera, that is awesome!! I’m so glad you made it – thanks for sharing the changes! I’ll have to try adding frozen mango some time – that sounds delicious! Also, I love the daily delight brand too lol.

      Reply

  6. I just have to tell you, all of your recipes are becoming staples in our house! Thank you!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  7. There was an aunty who whenever she would make Avial, would send some over as she knew I absolutely love this dish – one of my special memories that I hold very dear to my heart – when I saw this recipe, i thought i would try it and see if it comes close! I made it for some guests when I made this for the first time using your recipe and it was a hit! I now make this at least twice a month! Thank you Ashley for bringing my childhood memory alive again!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  9. Omg Ashley, your Avial looks incredible. I am a newbie to Instant pots, this recipe was easy and I can’t wait to for the veggies to cool down so I can add the yogurt. Thanks for sharing the recipe. You rock lady!!!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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