AVAL KESARI - POHA/AVALAKKI KESARIBHATH

     "Aval Kesari - Poha/Avalakki Kesaribhath" is a recipe with a twist.  A recipe similar to all-time classic Kesaribhath/Rava Kesari, but the only difference is that this Aval Kesari is prepared with Aval/Beaten Rice.  But it is really hard to find that this Kesari is prepared with Aval/Beaten Rice rather than with Rava/Semolina unless said.  The texture of this Aval Kesari does total justice to the dish. This Aval Kesari is a simple recipe prepared with Aval/Poha/Beaten Rice, Sugar, Water, flavoured with Cardamoms & Saffron, garnished with Ghee roasted Cashew Nuts & Raisins.  The yellow/orange colour of this dish is due to the addition of Food colouring, though the recipe has Saffron in it, it doesn't add a bright hue to the Kesari.
     The Aval/Beaten Rice I have used in this Aval Kesari recipe is the one made with Kerala Rose Matta Rice which my mother packed for me, while I was home last time.  This variety is slightly thicker and has a pink shade which naturally comes from the variety of Rice used. We can prepare this Aval Kesari with any type of Aval/Poha/Beaten Rice.  Perfectly roasted Aval/Beaten Rice yields perfectly textured Kesari.  Roast the Rice flakes on a very low flame stirring and tossing it continuously, so that the Aval is well roasted & mainly the colour shouldn't change.  Powder the roasted Aval/Beaten Rice and there you go with a new version of Kesari/Kesaribhath - Aval Kesari.  Simply serve this Aval Kesari as a snack or when a pang of Sweet Tooth hits you.  It is also suitable to be served as a Naivedhyam/Prasadham.



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Cuisine - Karnataka, South India
Recipe Type - Sweet
Difficulty - Easy
Serves - 3 - 4
Author - SM  

Preparation Time - 5-10 Minutes
Cooking Time - 20 - 30 Minutes


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HOW TO MAKE AVAL KESARI - POHA/AVALAKKI KESARIBHATH

INGREDIENTS :

Aval/Beaten Rice - 1/2 Cup
Sugar - 1/2 Cup
Water - 11/2 Cup
Ghee - 2-3 Tbspn
Cardamom - 3-4 Pods
Yellow/Orange Food Colouring - a Pinch
Saffron - few Strands
Cashew Nuts - Few
Raisins - Few
Salt - a Pinch.

METHOD :

• Soak Saffron strands in few teaspoons of Milk/Water and keep it aside.
• Grind the Cardamom Pods with few teaspoons of Sugar into a fine powder and keep it aside.
• Heat 2 -3 Tbspns of Ghee in a Pan, roast Cashew Nuts & Raisins on a very low flame until Cashew nuts turn into light Golden Brown in Colour.
• Remove the Nuts and Raisins from the Ghee and keep it aside.
• Add few more teaspoons of Ghee to the same Pan and roast Beaten Rice/Aval on a very low flame.
• Roast the Beaten Rice/Aval until it turns aromatic, it will take approximately 5-7 minutes.
• Care should be taken while roasting the Beaten Rice/Aval.  The trick is to roast it without changing its colour.
• Allow it cool down.
• Grind the roasted Beaten Rice/Aval into a coarse powder.
• Meanwhile, boil the Water in a separate Pan.
• Gradually add the coarsely powdered Beaten Rice/Aval to the boiling water.
• Stir continuously while adding the Beaten Rice/Aval powder until it absorbs the water and there are no lumps.
• Pour in the Saffron soaked liquid along with a pinch of Orange/Yellow food colouring and mix well.
• Once the Beaten Rice/Aval is cooked, add Sugar and a pinch of Salt, mix well.
• Cook this mixture on a very low flame stirring continuously until the Sugar is well dissolved.
• Add Cardamom powder to the Aval Kesari and mix well.
• Add the remaining Ghee and stir continuously.
• Cook on a very low flame. Aval Kesari needs to be cooked for a bit of a long time.
• Stir the Aval Kesari and mix it well all along, until the Kesari starts to separate from the pan.
• Finally, add the roasted Cashew Nuts & Raisins to the Aval Kesari and give a quick stir.
• Serve Aval Kesari - Poha/Avalakki Kesaribhath hot or at room temperature.
• Can serve it along with South Indian Breakfast items as a sweet or simply serve it as a dessert.
• Can also serve it as a Naivedhyam/Prasadham during festival seasons.

NOTES :

• Perfectly roasted Aval/Beaten Rice yields perfectly textured Aval Kesari.
• Care should be taken not to burn the Aval. Least to mention even the colour shouldn't change.
• Roast it on a very low flame, stirring and tossing it continuously.
• Adjust the amount of Water to suit your preferred consistency.
• Adding the given amount of Ghee gives a soft texture to the Aval Kesari.
• Adjust the amount of Sugar to suit your preference.
• Adding artificial food colouring is truly optional
• The colour from Saffron will not yield you a vibrant coloured Aval Kesari.
• Aval Kesari needs to be cooked for a bit of a long time to get the desired consistency and texture. 
• I have used the Aval/Beaten Rice prepared out of Kerala Matta Rice, which is slightly thicker and has a light pink colour.
• If you are using the white thin variety of Aval, adjust the cooking time and the quantity of water( Use just 1 Cup of Water) accordingly.