Artificial Food Coloring Free Vegan Coconut Vegetable Curry (Avial)

Total time55 min

Prep time25 min

Cook time30 min

Artificial Food Coloring Free Vegan Coconut Vegetable Curry (Avial)

This South Indian classic is a celebration of fresh vegetables and real, whole ingredients — no shortcuts, no synthetic dyes, just honest cooking that happens to be as beautiful as it is nourishing. The golden hue you see in the finished dish comes entirely from ground turmeric, one of nature's most vibrant and time-honored colorants, so there's nothing artificial hiding in the pot. A coarse paste of freshly grated coconut, cumin seeds, green chiles, and coconut yogurt gets stirred through tender vegetables like carrot, green beans, potato, and winter squash, creating a rich, fragrant coating that clings to every piece. The final tempering — mustard seeds popping in coconut oil, dried red chiles, and crisp curry leaves — is poured over the top in a sizzling rush that perfumes the whole kitchen. For anyone navigating artificial dye concerns, this dish is a reminder that food can be deeply colorful and visually stunning without a single synthetic additive in sight. It's warming, layered with flavor, and genuinely satisfying as a main or a generous side alongside rice or flatbread.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the vegetables

1 medium drumstick (moringa pods), cut into 2-inch pieces (optional)
1 medium raw banana (plantain), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 2-inch batons
1 medium potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup winter squash or yam, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
½ tsp ground turmeric
¾ tsp salt, plus more to taste
½ cup water

For the coconut paste

1 cup freshly grated coconut or thawed frozen grated coconut
1 tsp cumin seeds
McCormick Gourmet Organic Cumin Seed - 1.37 Oz McCormick Cumin Seed - 0.95 Oz Morton & Bassett Cumin Seed Frontier Co-Op Cumin Seed Whole Dewhiskered - 1.87 oz Badia Cumin Seed
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2 green chiles, roughly chopped
3 tbsp coconut yogurt

For the tempering

2 tbsp coconut oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
2 dried red chiles
10–12 fresh curry leaves

Instructions

1
Combine the raw banana, carrot, potato, green beans, and winter squash in a large wide saucepan or kadai. Add the drumstick pieces if using. Sprinkle in the turmeric and salt, then pour in the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium, cover, and cook for 12–15 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender when pierced with a knife but still hold their shape.
2
While the vegetables cook, combine the grated coconut, cumin seeds, green chiles, and coconut yogurt in a blender or food processor. Blend to a coarse, thick paste — it should be grainy and cohesive, not completely smooth. Add 1–2 tbsp of water only if needed to get the blades moving.

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