Aval Payasam/ Flattened Rice Flakes Milk Pudding

Yet another onam came to visit us today.  Onam is a harvest festival of my home town, Kerala, South India.  While growing up it was one of my favorite festivals as amma used to make a grand feast and appa will get us new clothes. Schools are closed for this holiday; new movies are released for Onam. Hope everybody celebrated this festival with great fun. 

Even though there are 4 -10 days of celebrations, the most important is Thiruvonam day that is today. Since my hubby has to work, I didn’t make a feast today. As he is off on this Friday that is Nalam Onam (4th day of onam) I am planning to make feast. Myth regarding festival of Onam is a celebration to welcome the arrival of the State's ruler, King Mahabali who belongs to Asura group (people who are materialistic and wanting to become Gods). However King Mahabali was very pious and good man and during his rule everybody was happy and country was prosperous. But due to some jealous devas (another group who are Gods) he had to leave his country and go back to pathala or underworld. 

But he was granted a unique wish that he can see his subjects on every Thiruvonam day.  King Mahabali is believed to visit every home today. Every home will be decorated with unique floral carpets (pookalams, as they are called) and the Onasadya or traditional feast is prepared as part of celebrating the King's visit.

Every television channels will be in a competition with each other to show onam movies and shows, so once you had feast, come and sit in sofa and watch movies. 

Yesterday while during our conversation at tea time, I told my hubby this Onam is the first Onam of our prince Nikhil. So we have celebrate, then my hubby’s question was will Mahabali visit us here in US too.  I told sure he will us, due time difference between India and US he will be able to do it.  After visiting us he will go back to pathala (underworld). Both he and we will be waiting for next visit for another onam. 

Hope everybody celebrated this year’s Onam with great enthusiasm. I made this aval/ poha/ flattened rick flakes pudding.  Yesterday I made some banana chips too. It was really hard to make with two crying babies who fight each other to see who is best in crying. My girl who cries for everything without any reason, on the other hand my boy who always wants mama to held him. His thinking is that why you are working, you have to take care of me. 

Here is our Onam Sadya

Coming back to the recipe, this is an easy pudding recipe; both aval/ flattened rice flakes and condensed milk are star ingredients. First roast the aval in ghee for 5 minutes then cook them with water and add milk, and once milk starts boiling add condense milk and again boil for few minutes. Finally garnish it with ghee roasted cashews and raisins. You can increase the flavor by adding some cardamom. 

Here goes the recipe. 

Take all your ingredients from the pantry. 

In thick bottom pan or sauce pot heat ghee and roast cashews and raisins one by one until cashews become golden brown and raisin gets plums up and set aside. Then in the same pan roast washed aval /flattened rice flakes for about  5 minutes or until it gets roasted and slightly change color. Then add water and cook for about 5 minutes. To this add milk and cook until it get reduced for about 15 minutes. Then add condensed milk, if you want extra sugar add this time. and boil for another 5 minutes. Finally add crushed cardamom and roasted ghee and raisins and switch off  the flame. 

Enjoy warm . 

  Print Recipe

Aval/Poha Payasam/ Flattened Rice Flakes Milk Pudding Preparation time: 5 minutes Cook time: 37 minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients 1 tablespoons Ghee 1 cup aval/poha/ flattened rice flake 15  Raisins 15 cashews 2 cup  water 2 1/4 cup  Milk ( I used 2 %) 7 oz  sweetened condensed milk 2 no  Cardamom Directions In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat ghee and roast cashews until it becomes  golden  brown color and raisins becomes plump up and set aside. In the same pot  roast washed  aval or flatten rice flake for about 5 minutes or until it changes the color. Then add water and cook for about another 5 minutes. To this add milk and boil for another 15 minutes. Then add condensed milk and cook for another 5 minutes.  Finally add crushed cardamom and ghee roasted raisins and cashews. Switch off the flame. Enjoy warm or cold. Variations Instead of condensed milk you can use sugar or other sweeteners.