This Vegan Avial is an exclusive from Richa Hingle’s Vegan Richa’s Instant Pot Cookbook: 150 Plant-based Recipes from Indian Cuisine and Beyond. Click here to find out where you can order your copy.
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Vegan Avial (South Indian Coconut Curry) from Vegan Richa’s Instant Pot Cookbook
Ingredients
- COCONUT SAUCE
- ½ cup 40 g unsweetened shredded coconut, preferably fresh
- 1 hot green chile - such as serrano, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt - or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric - optional
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds or ground cumin
- ½ cup 120 ml water
- VEGETABLES AND TEMPERING
- 1 teaspoon safflower or sunflower oil
- ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1 hot green chile - such as serrano, finely chopped 10 to 12 curry leaves
- 3 cups about 550 g assorted chopped firm vegetables, such as potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, green beans, summer squash, Moringa stems, or unripe banana and/or plantain
- ¼ cup 60 ml water
- GARNISH
- Freshly squeezed lime juice
Instructions
- For the coconut sauce, combine all the sauce ingredients in a blender and blend well. If you are using fresh coconut, don’t blend for too long, as it will cause too much of the oil to release. If using dried coconut, blend for 30 seconds, then let sit for 5 minutes so the coconut can rehydrate, then blend again to keep the texture from getting too coarse.
- For the vegetables and tempering, preheat the Instant Pot by selecting the Sauté setting. Heat the oil in the preheated pot for a few seconds, then add the mustard seeds to the oil pooled on the edges and leave for about 30 seconds, or until they start to splutter. Stir in the green chile and curry leaves, then add the vegetables and coconut sauce. Add the water and give it a good stir to pick up any stuck bits. Select the Cancel setting.
- Lock the lid into place, set the Pressure Release Knob to Sealing, select the Pressure Cook/Manual setting at high pressure, and set the cooking time to 4 minutes.
- Once the cooking cycle is done, let the pressure release naturally for 2 minutes, then carefully set the Pressure Release Knob from Sealing to Venting to release any remaining pressure. Carefully open the lid. Taste for salt, adjust if needed. Garnish with lime juice. Serve with rice or dosas.
Nutrition
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Published with permission from Richa Hingle’s Vegan Richa’s Instant Pot Cookbook: 150 Plant-based Recipes from Indian Cuisine and Beyond.
Click here to order your copy.
About the Author
About the Book
With 150 recipes from a range of global cuisines, this cookbook has everything from breakfasts to desserts to my favorite regional Indian dishes. Inside you’ll find flavorful recipes like Crunch Wraps, Peanut Noodles, and Bolognese, inventive use of the pot to make recipes like Chickpea Tofu. You will also find Indian comfort foods like Palak Tofu, Malai Kofta, Keema, and regional favorites like Dhansak, Vegan Avial, and Mango Chutney.
If you loved this vegan avial, stay tuned for more exclusive recipes from Vegan Richa’s Instant Pot Cookbook!
In the meantime, learn more about South Indian cuisine!
Culture Tuesday: an Exploration of South Indian Cuisine (+3 Vegan Tamil Breakfast Recipes)
