Aval Payasam or Atukula Payasam is a simple pudding made with flattened rice or beaten rice flakes. It is made the traditional way using jaggery, milk, ghee and nuts. It is specially prepared during Hindu festivals like Krishna Jayanti.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Dessert / Sweet
  • Cuisine: South Indian

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons ghee
  • 8 cashew nuts ((split before frying))
  • 8 to 10 sweet raisins ((optional))
  • ½ cup poha (/aval/ atukulu/ avalakki)
  • 2 cups milk ((can use ¼ cup more))
  • ½ cup jaggery (grated)
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons Water (to melt jaggery)
  • 3 to 4 green cardamoms (powdered or ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder)
  • 2 tablespoons aval (/poha or 1 to 1 ½ tsp rice flour)
  • 8 cashews (or 3 to 4 tbsp coconut)

Method

Make Jaggery Syrup

  1. Add jaggery to a small pot along with 3 to 4 tbsp water. Melt the jaggery on a low flame.
  2. When the jaggery melts and begins to bubble up set this aside to cool completely. The syrup must turn sticky and don't need a string consistency.

How to Make Aval Payasam

  1. Powder cashews and poha in a blender to a fine powder. Omit this step if using rice flour.
  2. Heat ghee in a pan and fry the cashews until lightly golden. Add raisins and fry until they turn plump. Set these aside.
  3. Add poha to the pan and keep frying on a low flame until they begin to smell good. Stir in the powered poha and saute for a minute or 2.
  4. Pour milk and begin to cook on a medium heat until they turn soft. Stir often to prevent the milk scorching at the bottom.
  5. In the meantime, payasam thickens as well and the jaggery syrup has to cool down completely.
  6. Add cardamom powder. If using rice flour, stir it in ¼ cup milk. Make sure there are no lumps. Add it to the pot. Stir and cook on a medium heat until the payasam turns thick.
  7. Filter the cooled jaggery syrup to the payasam. Turn off the stove and mix everything well. Do not cook further, take it off from the stove.
  8. Add cashews and raisins. If desired some ghee as well. Serve aval payasam warm or cold.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.