Aval Payasam | Gokulashtami Recipes | Festival Recipes

Aval a.k.a poha payasam is part of the neivedhiyam kept for Lord Krishna on Gokulashtami. Before marriage amma used to make a simple sweet with poha, roasted gram and jaggery and that is what we kept for neivedhiyam alongside some butter. Amma has never made seedais till date and we have never asked for it. Thanks to all the maamis who lived near us, we had a non-stop supply of sweet and salt seedais for every gokulashtami and so amma never bothered making some.

Coming to this recipe, this payasam is so simple to make, thick, creamy and just right for that sweet cravings. I had the organic red rice beaten poha in hand and so used that but the thin white variety also works just fine. In fact amma tells that the thin variety suits best for this payasam. Also to make the payasam more creamy skip the sugar and replace it with sweetened condensed milk. If you are a health freak, then you can replace the sugar with jaggery or palm jaggery. I will be trying both ways and will update the blog once done.

~*What U Need*~ Aval / Red rice poha - 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp Sugar - 4 tbsp Milk - 2 cups Ghee - 1+1 tbsp Cardamom powder - a pinch Cashews - 4-5 Raisins - 10 How I Made it: Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a kadai, add the poha and fry till golden brown. Remove and set aside. In the same kadai, add another tbsp of ghee and fry the cashews and raisins, remove and set aside. Add milk and cook till reduced to 3/4th. Then add the poha and cook till reduced to half. Add sugar and cook for 3-5 mins. Add cardamom powder. Remove from flame and add the cashews and raisins.

Serve warm or cold!!!

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

Signs off!!!