Black Pepper Free Vegan Coconut Vegetable Curry (Avial)

Total time55 min

Prep time25 min

Cook time30 min

Black Pepper Free Vegan Coconut Vegetable Curry (Avial)

Avial is one of those dishes that proves simple, whole ingredients can create something genuinely extraordinary. A medley of root vegetables, green beans, and winter squash gets simmered until just tender, then folded into a coarse, fragrant paste of fresh coconut, cumin, green chiles, and coconut yogurt — the result is creamy, earthy, and deeply satisfying without a drop of dairy or any black pepper in sight. For anyone navigating a pepper sensitivity, this is the kind of recipe that feels like a gift, because the heat and complexity come entirely from green chiles and dried red chiles in the tempering, so there's no need to swap or skip anything. That final step — mustard seeds popping in hot coconut oil, dried chiles and curry leaves crisping in seconds — transforms the dish from good to absolutely electric. The tempering gets poured straight over the coconut-coated vegetables, perfuming every bite with that unmistakable South Indian warmth. It's naturally vegan, built on pantry-friendly produce, and comes together in a single wide pan. Serve it warm with rice or flatbread and watch it disappear.

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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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