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Aval (Flattened Rice) with Jaggery and Coconut

Starting from my childhood days aval is one of my favourite food. Aval tastes great on its own, but tastes even better when mixed with jaggery or sugar. Now a days there are many varieties you can buy at the supermarket. Some are thick aval that they taste better after cooling and some are thin aval that must be served quickly or you can use it as raw.Usually the thicker varieties are used for sweet dishes like aval ladoo, aval payasam, aval puttu and the thin varieties are used for aval upma, aval mixture and aval chat.  The thick aval has a firm texture and it needs some water or milk to absorb and later it  becomes soft. I always like to use thick aval for this dish because it absorbs the jaggery syrup and tastes better after resting. The other main ingredient in this recipe is fresh grated coconuts. Coconut has long been an important ingredient in enhancing the taste of South Indian cuisines, used in variety of sweets, curries, rice varieties and also for steamed foods. Feel free to add fresh coconuts wherever possible. The next ingredient is black sesame seeds. They add a nutty flavour and don't forget to add it. With just 4 ingredients this is a healthy food  and you can feel more full and less hungry after eating this. Now let's see how to prepare this Aval with jaggery with step by step photos.




Prep time : 20 minutes
Cook time : 15 minutes
Total time : 35 minutes
Serves : 4

Ingredients 
  • 2 cups white thick aval
  • 1.5 cups jaggery
  • 2 tbsp black sesame seeds
  • 1/2 cup fresh grated coconut
  • 1 to 2 tbsp ghee
  • 1/4 cup water
Cooking Directions

1. Wash the aval with plenty of water for 2 to 3 times and drain the water completely. Close it with a lid and keep it undisturbed for 30 minutes.


2. Take a small sauce pan or vessel and add the powdered jaggery with 1/4 cup of water. Keep on a low flame and allow it to dissolve completely. 


3. When it dissolves switch off the flame and keep it as it for a few minutes, so that the sand particles and impurities will settle down. Now take a broad pan or kadai and strain the jaggery syrup to it. 


4. Heat a small pan and dry roast the sesame seeds. Allow them to pop well and add it to the drained aval. 

5.Add a tsp of ghee in the same pan and add the grated coconuts to it. Fry them well until it turns dry or golden brown. Now add it to the aval. Mix them gently with a spoon.
6.Add 1 tbsp ghee to the jaggery mixture and keep in low flame.
 7. When the jaggery syrup starts to bubble, add the aval mixture and stir it continuously.You can see the jaggery syrup will be sticky.



8. Add a tsp of ghee from the sides of the pan and stir it for a few more minutes until it becomes dry.Once done keep the aval in the kadai itself for a few more minutes. After 15 minutes transfer it to the greased bowl or plate.

Notes
If you are using samba thick aval which are  red in colour, you have it soak with warm water for 1 hour. After 1 hour squeeze the water and add it to the jaggery syrup.
If you are using thin aval wash, drain and squeeze the aval and  immediately mix it in the jaggery syrup.
Always use pagu vellam(dark brown jaggery) for any traditional recipes. This vellam tastes good and it gives dark brown colour.


If you try this recipe for Aval with Jaggery leave a comment below and share the recipe for your friends and family.


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