Aval Vilayichathu (Sweet Beaten Rice )

Ingredients

Aval ( beaten rice )  - ¼  kg

Grated coconut        -  1 big coconut

Jaggery                       -  ½ kg

Ghee                             -  2 tbsp

Coconut slivers           - 2 tbsp 

Chana  dal                 -  1 tbsp

Seasame  seeds          - 1 tbsp

Jeera(cumin)             - ½ tsp

Dry ginger                -  1 inch

cardamom                     -  6

Preparation

In a deep vessel  on low flame,  pour ghee  and add thin of  pieces  coconut,

Chana dal, seasame seeds, cashew, sultanas and fry golden brown and keep aside.

In another deep vessel on low flame melt jaggery by pouring quarter glass water

and quarter kg jaggery. As  it thickens add the fried items and grated coconut.

As  it  turns thick and almost dry, off the flame and let it cool.

Now mix in aval.
 Dry roast jeera, dry ginger, cardamom and powder it,

And sprinkle over aval. Serve with banana.

Aval  or these rice flakes  is a healthy Indian dish.

In Kerala aval is  generally served sweet as aval vilayichathu or

Aval nanachathu .

 Aval nanachathu is easy.

To aval add grated tender coconut and flakes of jaggery and

press it with your palm and the aval turns wet and is ready to serve.

Out side Kerala and other parts of  india,  aval is  generally

cooked as  savoury with oil, turmeric, chilli, onion and peanuts.

Veg Biriyani

Rice   -   2 cup

Curd   -  1 cup

Water   - 3 cups full

Cubed and  fried potato – 1 large

Peas   - 2 tbsp

Onion  fried -  2

Green  chilli    -  2

Ginger garlic paste  - 1 tbsp

Garm masala powder   -  1 tsp

Turmeric powder   -  ½ tsp

Oil     - 1 tbsp

Ghee  - 2 tbsp

Cashew nuts and sultanas  - 2tbsp

Whole spices

Cardamom    -   10

Cloves            -    8

Cinnamon      -       3 inch

Maize of nutmeg  - 1 full

Mint leaves     -  ½ cup

Coriander leaves  - ½  cup

                         On a low flame,  in  a wok pour oil and ghee  add nuts, whole spices, sultanas

fry for a minute,  turn  off  flame and remove a teaspoon of  whole spices to powder

and use in the end. Keep aside.

 In the wok  add washed rice and  sauté  rice on low flame  till dry.

Take out rice and keep aside.

On low flame,  in the wok   pour curd   add ginger garlic paste, turmeric  powder,

garam masala powder, green chilli, a part of fried onion, half of coriander leaves and

mint leaves , salt.  Let   it boil   now add 3 cups of water as it boils add rice.

Now   close the wok   with a lid covered in a kitchen towel.  Cook for 5 minutes on

low flame . Now add fried potato cubes and peas.

 On low flame keep a  frying  pan .

 After   5 minutes take out the wok with

boiling  rice with the lid,  keep on the frying  pan for 5 more minutes.

Open the lid  sprinkle the kept  aside  -  fried onions,  mint, coriander leaves, cashew, currents

And powdered   whole spices   which were kept aside.

Serve  with raita and pappad.

To get fried onion, slice thinly onions and deep fry till golden brown.

And take out.

In  that remaining  oil deep fry the skinned and small  cubed potatoes

Golden.

Chemmeen Puli Thoran

Chemmeen Puli  - 1 cup
Shallots            - 1 cup
grated coconut  - 1/2 cup
Chilli                 - 1 or 2
oil                      - 1 tbsp
mustard              -1tsp
turmeric             - 1/2 tsp
sugar                  - 1/2 tsp
Salt                     - to taste
Water                  - 2 tbsp
Curry leaves

In a bowl, combine thinly sliced chemmeen  puli, shallots, chilli and grated coconut.
On a low flame, in a wok pour oil and crackle mustard seeds.
Add turmeric, water, salt and sugar. As it starts to boil add chemmeen
puli - coconut mixture . Stir and as it changes colour and turns soft
take out from flam,e mix in fresh curry leaves and serve.

This thoran tickles your palate. but this tasty dish
you will never find in a restaurant menu.

Bigger chemeen puli (Irumbanpuli) will be more sore than the tender ones.
Thinly slice only the outer green part of the larger ones for thoran.
Bigger ones can be used to make pickles or to make curry
along with small prawns as its name suggests.

This juicy fruit can not be stored for long
 so you hardly find them in markets.