Aval Nanachathu

Aval nanachathu is a simple preparation of aval poha or phoha, which is beaten rice combined with freshly grated coconut or coconut milk and seasoned with spices and seasonings. It is often served for breakfast in Kerala and prepared during auspicious festivities, temple festivals, wedding ceremonies, and an essential part of Konkani cuisine. It is best made with red or brown phoha, but can also be made with white phoha. In this recipe, aval phoha is combined with fresh grated coconut or coconut milk, salt, jaggery, cardamom powder, and coconut water to make a refreshing dish.

Most of moisture in the dish will comes from the moisture in the jaggery and coconut milk. Squish the fresh coconut wuth your clean hands to get the moisture out and allow the phoha to soak. If the moisture from the fresh coconut is not enough, add fresh coconut juice to the dish. Jaggery is unrefined whole cane sugar that is a specialty in India. You can get it at Indian grocery stores but if it is not available, you can use molasses instead. The end product sould be soft, wet and plump rice with a subtle coarseness and texture.

Also known as Avil, Phovu, or Phoha, Aval is flattened rice that does not need to be cooked in this recipe. It is simply soaked in the preparation until it softens and becomes pleasurably edible.

To make aval nanachathu, look for brown aval or red aval. The white aval is not as tasty and will not taste as good if you use brown or red aval. You can get this kind of rice in Indian markets or stores. Rinse the rice a few times before soaking in the coconut milk and the jaggery. The cardamom will give the dish a nice color, aroma and flavor. You can also use sugar instead of jaggery or molasses but the end product will taste different.