Aval Nanachathu | Kerala Aval Nanachathu recipe | Kerala Style sweetened beaten rice flakes

Aval nanachathu

Aval nanachathu  with detailed photos and video

Like many other Keralites, aval nanachathu is one such dish which is related to my childhood memories. This was a popular after school snack during my childhood. Due to the easiness of the preparation and abundance of coconut, our parents usually make this as an evening snack in most of the day. The only rich iron and fiber red aval was available during those periods. One plate full of this sweetened rice flakes was enough to fill our belly. I don't know, whether people are prepare this dish now as frequently as those times.

What is aval?

Aval is the Malayalam name of flattened rice.  Aval is available in both white and red varieties. The red aval or red poha is more nutritious than the white aval as this is made from unpolished red rice or chemba rice. I usually prefer this red variety of rice flakes due to its nutritious value and taste. Also, I want to introduce all those childhood tastes to my kids in the same taste and look..

Name of Aval in different Indian languages

English - Flattened rice

Malayalam - Aval

Tamil - Aval

Kannada  -Avalakki

Telugu - Atukulu

Hindi - Poha or  pauwa

Marathi- Pohe

Gujarathi - Paua  Or Paunva

Bengali - Chira

Oriya- Chuda

How to Make aval nanachathu ?

Making aval nanachathu is a quick and easy method and don't involve any cooking process. You can make it in a jiffy and serve with any type of small banana. The coconut and jaggery make the aval moist where as cardamom gives a nice pleasing smell to this dish. Addition of water is not necessary unless you want to reduce the amount of coconut. I generally don't prefer to use water, as I believe the use of water in this dish diminish its flavor and taste. (aval is beaten rice flakes and nanachathu means moist)

Serving options for aval nanachathu

Aval nanachathu is a quick and easy snack. It is sweet in taste so it doesn't actually need any accompaniments. Sill, if you prefer, you can serve with small banana or robesta.

 

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Aval nanachathu | Kerala aval nanachathu recipe | How to make Kerala style beaten rice flakes

Sweetened beaten rice flakes

Preparation time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: Nil | Total time: 10 minutes

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Ingredients

• 2 cups aval (red or white beaten rice flakes / flattened rice)
• 1 cup grated coconut
• 1/2 cup powdered jaggery
• 2 or 3 cardamom, slightly crushed or 1/2 tsp cardamom powder

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How to make aval nanachathu - video

Aval Nanachathu Preparation With Step By Step Photos

This is a very easy recipe, no cooking process involved. You can use red or white variety of beaten rice flakes or aval, both taste good.

1. The first step in the preparation of aval nanachathu, is mixing up of grated coconut and jaggery. Take both ingredients along with crushed cardamom or cardamom powder in a bowl. Then mix thoroughly with applying some pressure. You have to do this step with your hands, use of spoons is not recommended. In Kerala, we use black jaggery which is called karutha sarkkara in Malayalam. It gives exactly different taste to the dish. If you don't get, you can use white jaggery or sugar.
   
2. After mixing, the mix will appear little moist and dark brown in color as shown in the photo. The coconut milk and jaggery together work here to make it moist.
   
3. Now you can add beaten rice flakes (aval or poha).Both red and white varieties give excellent taste, so you can choose the variety which is easily available to you.
   
4. Again mix well till it well combined and the rice flakes should be coated nicely with coconut and jaggery and the entire mixture should be moist and soft. The aval will absorb moisture with time, and will turn soft. If you want to reduce the amount of coconut, then you can put one or two tablespoons of water, but I usually do not prefer as water diminishes the flavor considerably.
   
5. You can serve this with any variety of small banana and a cup of black tea.

Happy cooking

Anju