Vella Aval Recipe (Sweet Poha with Jaggery)
Traditional South Indian Vella Aval (Sweet Poha with jaggery) made with flattened rice, jaggery syrup, coconut and roasted nuts.
Servings: 3
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.