08/04/2026
Vishu special
Aviyal
By
Vishu, celebrated in Kerala and by Keralites across India and the globe, marks the start of the Malayalam new year, a festival of new beginnings and hopes.
The word “Vishu” in Sanskrit means “equal” and hence it celebrates the spring equinox, when day and night are nearly equal.
An important part of the festival is the Vishu Kani setting. Seeing the Vishu Kani, an assortment of auspicious items, first thing in the morning is believed to bring prosperity and herald a good year. A special yellow flower named Kani Konna is integral to the Vishukkani. People also recite the Ramayana near the sacred Vishu Kani.
Now let's come to one very important part of the celebration- the ‘sadya’ feast; that includes banana chips, curries, rice, dishes, pickles and other items served on a banana leaf.
So this whole week, we have prepared a visual sadhya treat for you all. We hope you will love, try and enjoy these dishes in your homes.
One of the most prominent dishes in a Sadya is Aviyal. Every Keralite in this world can be associated with this particular delicacy. So let's start our Vishu special week with 'Aviyal'.
Recipe:
Vegetables - Raw Banana, Elephant Foot Yam (Suran), Drumsticks, Ash Gourd (Kumbalanga), Yellow Cucumber (Mangalore Cucumber), Carrot, Beans, Snake Gourd, 1 small raw mango. Each a cup cut into long little thick slices. Boil all with a little turmeric and salt until the elephant yam is cooked through.
1 cup grated coconut, 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera), 3–5 green chilies and 2-3 shallots. Grind them all into a coarse mixture.
Add this mixture into the boiled vegetables and mix well. Add 2-3 tbspns of water if required. Add in a sprig of fresh curry leaves and let cook for a minute or 2. Check for the seasoning at this point.
Once all the flavours get incorporated, switch off the flame. Pour 2 tbsns of coconut oil on the aviyal and add a tbspn of feshly grated coconut and a sprig of curry leaves. Cover and let sit for a few minutes.
Delicious aviyal is ready!!!
❤️
