Kerala Sadya Aviyal

Aviyal is one of the most important dishes in a Kerala sadya. This thick, coconut-based mixed vegetable curry brings colour, flavour, and nutrition to the banana leaf. It’s not just a tasty side dish – it has a rich history and a popular myth connected to it, showing how deeply rooted it is in Kerala’s food culture.

There is a well-known story from the Mahabharata which says that Bheema, the strongest of the Pandavas, created aviyal during their exile when they lived in disguise in King Virata’s palace. Bheema took up the job of a cook in the royal kitchen. One day, with a variety of vegetables left in the kitchen and a big feast to prepare, he decided to chop everything together, cooked them with coconut, seasoned it with curry leaves and coconut oil – and thus, aviyal was born. The dish was loved by everyone in the palace and became a regular part of the meals.

There is also a historical belief that aviyal started in Travancore (Thiruvananthapuram) during the Murajapam ritual at the Padmanabhaswamy temple. There, leftover vegetables from the temple kitchen were combined to create a no-waste curry – which later became a regular part of sadya.

Aviyal is also very healthy. It uses many seasonal vegetables like yam, raw banana, ash gourd, drumstick, carrot, and snake gourd, making it rich in fibre and nutrients. It is lightly cooked, uses very little oil, and is easy to digest. The coconut used in it keep the body cool, which is perfect for Kerala’s climate. In a sadya, aviyal adds not just taste, but also balance – both in tradition and in health.

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Sadya

Kerala Sadya Aviyal

Author: Ushadevi Cuisine: Kerala Courses: Curries & Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Difficulty: Advanced Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time 20 mins Total Time 35 mins

Cooking Temp: 100  C Servings: 6

Best Season: Suitable throughout the year

Ingredients

Scale

1/2x 1x 2x 3x

• 500 gm Yellow Cucumber (Vellarikka)
• 500 gm Snake Gourd (Padavalanga)
• 2 Drum Stick (Muringakaya)
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cup Yam (Chena)
• 1 Raw Banana
• 10 Yard Long Beans (Achinga)
• 5 Green Chillies (slitted)
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 1 teaspoon Chilly Powder
• 1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoon Tamarind Extract
• 1 tablespoon Salt
• 3 cup Grated Coconut
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon Cumin
• 2 spring Curry Leaves
• 1 tablespoon 1 + 1 teaspoon Coconut Oil

Instructions

1. Aviyal or Sadya Aviyal or Sadya special Aviyal is made with vegetables which available year long. Its quick and easy recipe
2. First of all Cut all vegetables in to 1 – 1 1/2 inch long slices. and wash well
3. In a cooking bowl, add a tablespoon Coconut Oil, a spring Curry leaves, Yam, Yellow cucumber, Snake Gourd, Drum stick, Green Chillies and Yard long beans and cook for some minutes
4. Now you can add Turmeric powder, Chilly powder and Salt and mix well and cook
5. Next you can add Raw Banana slices, mix well and cook some more minutes till everything get cooked
6. Grind or Crush Coconut with Cumin seeds without water
7. Add Tamarind extract to the vegetables and mix well.
8. Add Coconut paste to the cooked vegetables and mix well
9. We will Finish the cooking with Adding Curry leaves and pour a teaspoon Coconut Oil over the curry
10. Easy Sadya Aviyal is ready.