Janmaashtami special Aval Payasam

This is long overdue as many other special recipes for Janmaashtami. We have already celebrated the Ganesh Chathurthi and a Janmaashtami recipe shows up; it is a bit ridiculous. But I was just saving this to send it for few events and so the post got lost among many others. Better late than never, so please bear with this delay and enjoy the payasam.

You will need:

1/4 cup (50 grams) of thick variety aval/poha/ beaten rice

1/2 cup sugar

300ml whole milk

Ghee to roast the aval

Almonds and cashews few soaked and ground to a fine paste

Few strands of saffron

1/4 teaspoon powdered cardamom

A tiny pinch of edible cooking camphor ( Pachchai Karpooram)

Toss the aval in a seive and sift the powdery impurities.

Add ghee in a pan and in warm ghee roast the aval until golden.

Cool and pulse in your mixer just to a very coarse texture. (you may retain aval in whole and cook too)

Cook the aval until soft with water.

Add the sugar and cook further until sugar melts to a syrup and blends with the cooked aval.

Add the paste and the milk and on low heat allow the milk to boil first and simmer. Thus the raw taste of almonds and cashews will also subside.

When done remove from fire and garnish with saffron strands, camphor and cardamom powder.

Offer to Sri Krishna His favourite aval.

The legend is that Krishna's childhood companion Sudhama was struggling to feed his family and upon suggestion from his wife, paid a visit to his friend. He offered aval to Krishna. In return he was blessed with riches and lived happily thereafter.

I shall love to send this aval payasam to Janmaashtami- Ganesh Chathurthi special foods event being hosted by Priti and Purva



and to

FIL - Milk hosted by Sanghi.