Free recipe

Aval Payasam

அவல் பாயாசம் (Aval Payasam)

Serves 4About 30 minutes

Aval is flattened rice, also called poha. Use thick aval. Aval payasam is also offered at Gokulashtami and Vinayagar Chaturthi.

What to buy

Check your pantry first

Dry goods and grains

Pantry staples you may already have

Dairy

Spices and seasonings

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup thick aval
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup jaggery with 1/4 cup water (or 1/4 cup sugar if you prefer)
  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • 10 cashews
  • 1 tbsp raisins
  • 1/4 tsp cardamom powder

Method

  1. Melt the jaggery in the water, strain, and let the syrup cool completely.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp ghee, fry cashews and raisins until golden and set aside.
  3. In the same pan add the remaining ghee and toast the aval on low heat for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant.
  4. Add the milk and simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes until the aval is soft and the payasam turns creamy.
  5. Switch off the heat, let it settle for a minute, then stir in the cooled syrup so the milk does not split. (If using sugar, add it in step 4 and stir until dissolved.)
  6. Add cardamom and the fried nuts. Serve warm or chilled.

Tips: Adding cooled jaggery syrup off the heat is the key step. The payasam thickens as it sits, so loosen with warm milk.

Allergens: Contains milk, tree nuts (cashew).

Follow your cooker's instructions. Whistle counts and pot cooking times vary. Use food-grade edible camphor only, never ritual camphor. Check packaged asafoetida for wheat.

Cooking involves heat and common allergens (milk, tree nuts). Please cook safely.
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