Onam 2026: Try This Easy Beetroot Avial Recipe To Add To Your Onam Sadya

Avial is a traditional Kerala dish, that is a staple of the Onam Sadhya and is often served early in the feast.

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The festival of Onam is right around the corner. The celebrations will begin with Atham on August 16 and culminate in Thiruvonam on August 26. A time to give thanks for the rich harvest and also welcome the annual return of the legendary King Mahabali, Onam is a feast of food and festivities that cannot be contained to one day.

Onam’s sadhya meals are legendary. They have a minimum of 10-15 dishes, but can feature around 24 to 28 dishes that are served on a banana leaf. Out of all the dishes, the avial is one of the most loved items on the leaf.

Avial (or aviyal) is a traditional Kerala dish, which is a thick, mildly spiced stew of mixed vegetables cooked with grated coconut, curd, and coconut milk, then finished with coconut oil and curry leaves. It is a staple of the Onam Sadhya and is often served early in the feast.

Legend says it was created by a resourceful cook (sometimes linked to Bhima of the Mahabharata) who combined leftover vegetables into one dish, which is why it symbolises simplicity and abundance during Onam.

While the classic version uses 10–13 seasonal vegetables like raw banana, beetroot, drumstick, yam, beans, and pumpkin, there are many variations: Kerala-style mixed-vegetable avial, Tamil Brahmin avial with a slightly sour, looser gravy, Cheera Avial (with amaranth leaves), Mutta Avial (with boiled eggs), and even non-vegetarian versions like Chicken Avial.

This recipe for beetroot avial by Shilpa Kumar, in-house chef, Akshayakalpa Organic, pairs beautifully with rice, chapati, roti, or dosa. It is a refreshing twist on traditional avial, and has a vibrant pink colour thanks to the beetroot. It combines the goodness of fresh greens, creamy curd, and the earthy aroma of coconut oil.

Beetroot Avial Recipe

Ingredients:

1. Small beetroots – 2 (grated)

2. Yoghurt – 400g

3. Fresh Dill leaves – 1 tbsp

4. Moringa leaves – 1 tbsp

5. Curry leaves (a few)

6. Chopped coriander leaves – 1sp

7. Cashews – 1 tbsp

8. Chana dal – 1 tsp

9. Urad dal – 1 tsp

10. Cumin – 1 tsp

11. Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

12. Asafoetida (hing) – a pinch

13. Coarsely crushed black pepper – 1 tbsp

14. Coconut oil – 1 tbsp

15. Salt (to taste)

Method:

1. Heat coconut oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and cumin, allowing them to splutter.

2. Stir in the chana dal, urad dal, cashews, curry leaves, and a pinch of hing. Sauté until the dals turn light golden.

3. Add the coarsely crushed pepper, grated beetroot, dill, moringa leaves, coriander leaves, and salt. Cook over medium heat until the beetroot is tender and the greens are wilted. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool completely.

4. Whisk the thick curd until smooth and creamy.

5. Gently fold the cooled beetroot mixture into the curd. Adjust the seasoning if required.

To Serve

Serve chilled or at room temperature with hot steamed rice, chapati, roti, or dosa with a generous amount of organic ghee for a nourishing and colourful Onam meal/sadya.

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Other unique avial variations include Kerala-style mixed-vegetable avial, Tamil Brahmin avial with a slightly sourer and looser gravy, Cheera Avial made with amaranth leaves, Mutta Avial with boiled eggs, and even non-vegetarian versions like Chicken Avial.

To make your Onam sadhya more diverse, you can include variations of traditional dishes like beetroot avial, which offers a vibrant pink colour and pairs well with rice or chapati. The Onam sadhya typically features 10-15 dishes, but can include up to 24 to 28 dishes served on a banana leaf. Other traditional dishes that can be part of the sadhya include avial, sambar, erissery, banana chips, puttu, pumpkin and cowpea erissery, lady’s finger kichadi, and parippu curry.

You can find more traditional Onam recipes, including avial, sambar, erissery, banana chips, rice puttu, parippu curry, and lady’s finger kichadi, on news18.com.

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About the Author

Abigail BanerjiSenior Sub Editor

Abigail Banerji is a Senior Sub Editor with News18’s English desk. She brings 6 years of experience across both print and digital newsrooms, spanning editorial planning, reportage, copy editing, conte…Read More

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Original source: https://www.news18.com/lifestyle/food/