Aval Kesari is a Simple and Easy South Indian Dessert made for Krishna Jayanti or Gokulashtami for Lord Krishna. Recipe under 30 minutes with ingredients easily available at home.
Aval Kesari or Poha Kesari is an easy South Indian sweeet recipe made with poha or flattened rice, ghee, sugar and nuts. It is soft, melt-in-mouth and quick sweet made for Krishna Jayanti or Gokulashtami.
Kesari is South Indian version of Sooji Halwa or Sheera (Maharashtra). Kesari is made with semolina, ghee, sugar, nuts and water. The sweet is orange in color hence derives the name "Kesari".
Unlike sooji (semolina or rava), poha is gluten-free. The soft texture is quite similar to rava kesari. The ingredients for making aval or poha kesari is easily available in an Indian pantry. Can be made for special occasions or during festivals.
The recipe can be easily doubled or tripled. I have made a small batch of kesari for the two of us.
Jump to:
Aval or Poha and it's association with Krishna Jayanti
According to Hindu Mythology, Sudama (Krishna's best friend) who was a poor person. Unable to to offer the Lord anything else, carries some poha tied in a cloth while going to meet him in his palace.
Overwhelmed with happiness and the kind gesture by Sudama, Lord Krishna blesses him with wealth and happiness. The bond between Krishna and Sudama (rich and poor) exemplifies that friendship seeks no wealthy gifts. Love for each other is what matters.
During Gokulashtami or Krishna Jayanti, sweets and savory cooked with butter, milk, curd and poha are offered as neivedyam to Lord Krishna.
In South India, Aval or Poha is used to make payasam (kheer) and ladoo.
Ingredients
(Please note that the exact measurements are given below in the recipe card)
Aval (Jada Poha, Thick Poha or Aval to be used) - Thin Poha will not work for this recipe. Any variety of Poha can be used - Brown, Red etc. Kesari color may vary according to color of poha without any compromise on texture.
Sugar - Raw Sugar used for the recipe.
Ghee or Clarified Butter - Cannot be substituted with Oil. I use Organic A2 Ghee. Note - Measure the ghee after melting.
Nuts - Unsalted almonds and cashews. You can add raisins, pista (unsalted) too.
Food Colour - Kesari has the trademark "orange" colour. I have however, used very less food colour.
Water for cooking the Aval Kesari and Cardamom powder for the aroma / flavor.
How to make Aval Kesari or Poha kesari
(1) Heat a pan, add 1 tbsp ghee (melted ghee used here).
(2) Add roughly chopped nuts (cashews and almonds). Sauté them until golden brown. Remove the nuts on to a plate and keep aside. Place the pan back on the stove.
(3) In the same pan (with some residual ghee) add the poha. Sauté the poha until you get a nice aroma and the poha crisps up. It will just take couple of minutes for this process so ensure the flame is low and you are sauteing continuously with a wooden spatula or spoon.
(4) Once the poha is roasted, switch off the flame, keep the poha aside to cool.
(5) Once cool, grind the roasted poha (texture as shown below).
(6) Heat the pan and add 1 cup water.
(7) Once you see the water bubbling, add the roasted poha. Mix well to avoid lumps. (A whisk is a good option for beginners)
(8) Add the food colour (2 drops used here) and mix well. Once you notice the moisture has been absorbed, measure and add 1/2 cup sugar. Mix well.
(9) Now add 2 tbsp of melted ghee. Mix again and allow kesari to thicken.
(10) Add the roasted nuts and switch off the flame. Now add cardamom powder, mix well and serve immediately.
If you want to avoid food colour - In a bowl, add 2 tbsp of warm water and a pinch of kesar strands. Mix well and let it stand for atleast 20 minutes. You can use this in Step 8 above. If you are using this method, reduce the water quantity (1 cup) by 2 tbsp else the kesari will be sticky. Proportion is key here. NOTE - Colour depends on the quality of saffron used.
Pro Cleaning Tip - Always pour hot water over the utensils that are used for making desserts including measuring cups, spoons, spatula, pans etc. Wait for 10 minutes and then proceed to scrub and clean. Vessels are spotless without any ghee residue or smell.
Storage / Leftovers
Aval Kesari stays fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can reheat in a microwave and consume. Ensure you pack kesari in an airtight container.
More traditional Indian sweets to try
Holige (Karnataka)
Nendram Pazham Pradhaman (Kerala)
Banana Sheera for Satyanarayan pooja (Maharashtra)
Please take a moment to LEAVE A COMMENT and a STAR * rating on the blog. It would encourage others to try the recipe or you could TAG US on any of our social media handles –INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, FACEBOOK PAGE AND PINTEREST.
Aval Kesari | Poha Kesari for Gokulashtami
Ingredients
- ½ cup Aval or Thick Poha (Jada Poha)
- ½ cup Sugar
- 1 cup Water
- 3 tablespoon Ghee or Clarified Butter
- 2 drops Orange Food Colour
- 1 tablespoon Chopped Dry fruits (Cashew and Almonds)
- A small pinch of cardamom powder
- Few Saffron strands for garnish optional
Instructions
- Heat a pan, add 1 tbsp ghee (use melted ghee).
- Add roughly chopped nuts (cashews and almonds). Sauté until golden brown. Remove the nuts on to a plate or bowl and keep aside. Place the pan back on the stove.
- In the same pan (with some residual ghee) add poha. Sauté poha until you get a nice aroma and the poha crisps up. It will just take couple of minutes for this process so ensure the flame is low and you are sauteing continuously with a wooden spatula or spoon.
- Once the poha is roasted, switch off the flame, keep the poha aside to cool.
- Once cool, grind the roasted poha.
- Heat the pan and add 1 cup water.
- Once you see the water bubbling, add the roasted poha. Mix well to avoid lumps. (A whisk is a good option for beginners)
- Add the food colour (2 drops used here) and mix well. Once you see the moisture has been absorbed, measure and add 1/2 cup sugar. Mix well.
- Now add 2 tbsp of melted ghee. Mix again and allow the kesari to thicken.
- Add the roasted nuts and switch off the flame. Now add cardamom powder, mix well and serve hot or warm.
Notes
- You can add up to 1/4 cup of ghee for this particular recipe but I have used only 3 tbsp. It doesn't compromise with taste and keeps it a bit light.
- Out of the 3 tbsp ghee, 1 tbsp is for roasting nuts and poha and the remaining 2 tbsp is for the kesari. Measure the ghee after melting.
- Roasting the poha is the key step. Ensure the flame is low, saute it well so that the roasting is even. Do not leave the pan unattended.
- I have used raw sugar here. You can add refined sugar as well.
- Add any nuts of your choice based on availability.
Please subscribe to our website to receive all the delicious recipes in your mail box.
We will be back again with yet another exciting recipe .. Until then, stay healthy and happy!
Vidya Narayan
Healthy, instant, and yummy sweet dish made with basic ingredients available at home. Tried it and it turned out super tasty. Keep inspiring us Vidya .?
Thank you so much for the encouragement Geeta - Always!