Vella aval, also known as sweet poha, is a traditional South Indian sweet prepared with flattened rice, jaggery syrup, grated coconut and ghee. Here is how to make delicious vella aval at home with easy step-by-step photos!
Wishing you all a very happy and prosperous new year 2022 💓😍. Vella aval recipe / sweet poha can be prepared in different methods. Usually people make it for Gokulashtami festival. Its one of the easiest Gokulashtami recipes. Many of you would have tasted this as evening snack in your childhood days after coming from school. Yes, my mom used to make it in a very simple way by washing the thin poha, mix with powdered jaggery, grated coconut and cardamom powder. Even my MIL makes the same for Sendhil. We love this instant sweet aval recipe.
Today I have made this sweet poha recipe in a slightly different method. I used boiled and strained jaggery syrup instead of powdered jaggery as mine had lot of impurities. If your jaggery is pure, you can directly add grated jaggery to the soaked poha like my mom does it.
Soon I will try to post Kerala style sweet aval recipe. In the mean time, do check out my easy sweet aval – a no cook recipe I learnt from my MIL and also my aval puttu recipe. You can make any one of these recipes for Gokulashtami prasadam.
Quick Notes for US & Abroad Kitchens
- Poha / Aval Variety: Use thick aval (thick poha / thick rice flakes) available at Indian grocers like Deep, Swad or Laxmi. Thick poha absorbs the jaggery syrup evenly without turning mushy. If using thin nylon poha, do not soak—simply rinse and toss immediately with jaggery and coconut.
- Jaggery Selection: Organic powdered jaggery (such as 24 Mantra or Patel Brothers) or grated round jaggery blocks work great. Straining the boiled jaggery syrup is essential to remove sand or grit.
- Coconut: Freshly grated coconut or thawed frozen grated coconut (soaked in warm water for 5 minutes and drained) gives the best authentic taste.
- Serving & Shelf Life: Vella aval tastes best served fresh at room temperature. Stored in an airtight container, it stays fresh for 1 to 2 days.
Vella Aval Recipe (Sweet Poha with Jaggery)
Ingredients
1 cup = 250ml
- 1 cup Thick poha / rice flakes / aval (approx. 90g / 3.2 oz)
- ¾ cup Powdered jaggery (approx. 150g / 5.3 oz)
- ¼ cup Grated coconut (approx. 25g / 0.9 oz)
- ¼ tsp Cardamom powder
- 5 each Cashew nuts & dry grapes
- 1 Cloves
- a pinch Edible camphor
- 1 tbsp Ghee (approx. 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz)
Instructions
- Wash and soak the thick aval for 10 to 15 minutes adding water 1 inch above the aval. Aval absorbs all the water and becomes fluffy. Set aside.
- Heat a kadai and add powdered jaggery, 1/2 cup of water. Boil and melt the jaggery. Strain the syrup and add to a kadai.
- Boil the syrup till frothy and switch off the flame. Add the soaked aval, grated coconut and cardamom powder. Mix well and leave the mixture in the kadai till it becomes thick.
- Heat ghee in a small kadai. Roast cashew nuts, dry grapes and cloves. Add to aval along with a pinch of edible camphor and mix well.
- Offer God and enjoy hot or at room temperature!
- NO COOK VERSION: Take the soaked poha in a bowl. Add powdered jaggery, cardamom powder, grated coconut and a pinch of edible camphor. Mix well and serve immediately.
Notes
- You can use thin poha / paper aval too but no need to soak it. Just wash it thrice, drain all the water and use it.
- Do not cook the soaked aval after adding to the jaggery syrup. It may become hard and chewy. So switch off the flame and add to the syrup.
- Adjust the quantity of jaggery as per your taste. You can use 1/2 cup for mild sweetness.
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Try this easy, yummy, sweet aval / vella aval and enjoy !
