It is supposed to have been invented by Bhima (one of the Pandava brothers) during their exile. According to the legend, the Pandavas disguised themselves as commoners, and renamed themselves and took up different jobs in the kings palace, since Bhima loved food, although he din't know how to cook, he decided to work in the kitchen close to food, so when Ballav (Bhima's name during this time) assumed his duties as the cook in the kitchen of Virata, one of the first things he did was to chop up many different vegetables, boil them together and top the dish with grated coconut - Avial was created!
Another narrative version relates to the attempt made by Kauravas to kill Bhima. After poisoning Bhima, Kauravas tied Bhima and threw him to water. Kauravas also communicated that they saw Bhima
The Avial Story
drowning in water. With the completion of the days of mourning, a funeral feast was planned and preparation were underway. Unexpectedly, Bhima emerged from the water, rescued by the Nagas. With this, preparations for the feast was cancelled. However, Bhima was unhappy with this decision, and decided to mix all of the vegetables to prepare a new dish, that later became popular as Avial.