Poha Rasayana
Flattened rice, commonly known as poha, is rice which is flattened into flat, light, dry flakes originating from the Indian subcontinent. These flakes of rice swell when added to liquid, whether hot or cold. The thickness of the flakes varies between almost translucently thin to thick Poha and used in varieties of Indian dishes. It is called by different names in different regions, such as Avalakki (ಅವಲಕ್ಕಿ) in Kannada, Atukulu in Telugu, Aval in Tamil & Malayalam, Poha in Hindi.
Avalakki Rasayana/Sihi Avalakki/Sweet Poha is a famous dish from Karnataka, usually prepared during festivals to offer as a Prashad to Lord during Tulasi festival or Krishna Janmashtami. Poha/Aval is Lord Krishna’s favorite food, so avalakki kayi bella is prepared for his offerings. Avalakki Rasayana is a very simple dish, involves no cooking, so could be a great energy dish for ones who are fasting for festivals.
Red Poha vs White Poha! How to use RED POHA?
Most Indians kickstart their day with Poha for breakfast. So why not try your breakfast with healthy Poha. A healthier variation to the everyday poha is the red poha, which is made from red rice. Moreover, unlike white rice, red rice doesn’t undergo excessive processing, and as such the other bran layer remains intact. Red poha is slightly coarser in texture as compared to white poha. Red poha can be used pretty much the same way as white poha. You need to rinse the poha 2-3 times and soak it in water first, for at least 10 minutes, so that it softens and then use in many dishes such as salads or stir fry with other vegetables and spices or use in cutlets. This rasayana recipe calls for Red Poha, but you could still use white Poha. It is really about making a healthier choice.
I Usually prepare rasayana as a side dish whenever I make avalakki oggarane (which is the spicy version of poha) for breakfast. Great to pack it in a lunch box too. This Rasayana is a mixture of Red Poha, Jaggery, Coconut, Banana, and Cardamom powder. I call this recipe as 5-ingredient Rasayana that could be prepared within 5-mins.
We had a lot of jackfruits this summer and was finding ways to use in recipes. So thought why not dump into sweet Poha dish and trust me, it tasted so good and made an awesome combination with banana and Poha. Make sure to use only ripe Banana and Jackfruit for this recipe. Jackfruit is purely optional, skip if unavailable. Make this simple no-cook yummy rasayana for breakfast or pack it for lunch box.
You might want to try these festivals recipes…
- Carrot Beans Stir Fry
- Mango Rice
- Dill Lemon Rice
- Millet Pongal – Instant Pot
- Bele Obbattu – Instant Pot
- Obbattu Saaru – Instant Pot
- Poha Rasayana
Red Poha Rasayana | ಬಾಳೆಹಣ್ಣು-ಹಲಸಿನಹಣ್ಣು ಅವಲಕ್ಕಿ ರಸಾಯನ | Festival Recipe | Avalakki Kayi Bella | Sweet Poha/Aval with banana-jackfruit
Ingredients
- 1 cup Red Poha flattened rice
- 1 Banana finely chopped
- ¼ cup Fresh Coconut grated
- 4-5 Jackfruit thin strips-Optional
- 1 Tbsp Jaggery Powder add more/less as per taste
- ⅛ tsp Cardamom Powder elaichi powder
Instructions
PREPARATION:
- Rinse 1 cup thick Red Poha/Flattened Rice 2-3 times and soak in water for 10 mins. Skip Soaking if using thin Poha flakes.
- Tear or cup Jackfruit into thin strips and set aside.
- Finely chop 1 ripe banana into small pieces and set aside.
METHOD:
- Strain the soaked Poha and add in a mixing bowl.
- Add 1 Tbsp Jaggery(or more as per taste), chopped Banana, Chopped Jackfruit and grated coconut.
- Add a dash of Cardamom Powder and give a good mix.
- After a few mins, jaggery melts and blends well with the poha. Add ¼ cup milk if you feel it still dry.
- 5-ingredient Rasayana is ready in 5-mins! Serve this Rasayana as a side-dish with spicy poha(Avalakki Oggaranfor breakfast.
- Healthy & Tasty Sweet Poha is Ready to Relish!!
Video
Notes
- Red Poha can be replaced with white Poha too.
- Add more or less of jaggery as per taste. You could also replace with sugar or add half Jaggery and half sugar. You could also add a spoonful of honey.
- Jackfruit is optional. Add only if available for the season. Traditional Rasayana is done just with banana.
- Roast few finely chopped cashews and almonds in ghee, along with dry grapes and add to Rasayana.
- No need Soaking if using thin flakes of Poha. The juice from the sugar/Jaggery and banana is sufficient enough to make it soft.
Check out other Side-dishes….
- Vegetable Stir-Fry
- Carrot Beans Stir Fry
- Salmon-Asparagus Packet
- Onion Tomato Cucumber RAITA
- Guacamole with Indian twist
- Garlic Asparagus
- Ridge Gourd Curry
- Oven Roasted Cauliflower
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