Vella Aval (Sweet Poha)
Vella aval is a South Indian sweet poha made with jaggery syrup, grated coconut, cardamom and fried cashews.
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30 mintotal
20 min hands-on10 min hands-off
Prep 10 min · Cook 10 min
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- None
Ingredients
Quantities are for 2 servings.
You'll need: Stovetop.
Allow 10 minutes for rinsed poha to soften and rest before it goes into the jaggery syrup.
Method
In a small pan, add the crushed jaggery and water. Heat on medium until the jaggery completely dissolves. Filter it to remove any impurities. Bring the filtered syrup back to a gentle boil until it slightly thickens.
Add the freshly grated coconut and cardamom powder to the jaggery syrup. Mix well.
Turn the heat to lowest and add the soaked, softened poha to the pan. Mix gently so the poha doesn't break, ensuring every flake is coated with the jaggery syrup. Turn off the heat.
In a separate small tadka pan, heat coconut oil (or ghee). Add the broken cashews and roast until golden brown.
Pour the roasted cashews along with the oil over the sweet poha. Mix lightly.
Cover the pan and let it rest for 5 minutes so the flavors meld together.
5 min
How to tell it's done
The poha flakes should be soft and moist, lightly sticky with jaggery, coconut and crisp cashews.
Getting it right
Tip
Keep the jaggery syrup only slightly sticky. String consistency hardens the poha and makes the flakes chewy.
What to serve it with
Serve as an evening sweet snack or as neivedyam with banana slices and extra coconut.
Common mistakes
- The sweet poha turns hard or mushy.
- Do not boil the syrup too far, and fold the softened poha gently. Thin poha breaks quickly once it is wet.
Storing and reheating
Store vella aval covered at room temperature for up to 6 hours or refrigerate for 1 day. Warm gently or bring to room temperature before serving.
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