Indian
Vegan
Gluten freeAvalose podi
Roasted rice flour and coconut powder
അവലോസ് പൊടി: slow-roasted rice flour and coconut powder, eaten with sugar and banana
Avalose podi is a keeping snack from central Kerala, especially Syrian Christian homes around Kottayam and Thrissur, made in big batches before Christmas or long journeys. Coconut is rubbed into rice flour and roasted for close to an hour until the mix turns sandy, golden and smells like toasted biscuits. It is eaten by the spoonful with a little sugar and a ripe banana, or with black coffee, and can be bound with jaggery into avalose unda. The mistake is high heat; the coconut browns before the flour is cooked through and the podi tastes raw and bitter. Chef's tip: keep stirring over low heat until a pinch, cooled, falls apart like sand between your fingers.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Serves
- 10
- Per serving
- 290 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb fine raw rice flour
- 9 oz fresh grated coconut
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp salt
To serve
- 1 tbsp sugar (optional)per serving
- 2 ripe bananas (optional)sliced
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Grind 9 oz fresh grated coconut with 1 tsp cumin seeds to a coarse, dry crumb without water.
2 minStep 2: Rub the coconut and ½ tsp salt into 1 ⅛ lb fine raw rice flour with your fingertips for several minutes, until it looks like damp sand. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
8 minStep 3: Heat a wide heavy pan or uruli over low-medium heat, add the mix and stir constantly, breaking up lumps with the back of the spoon.
10 minStep 4: Keep roasting over low heat, scraping the bottom, until the powder is evenly light brown, dry and loose and smells nutty, 40–50 minutes. A pinch should feel crisp and sandy once cool.
40 minStep 5: Spread on a tray to cool completely, then store in an airtight jar for up to a month.
0 minStep 6: To serve, spoon into bowls with 1 tbsp sugar and 2 ripe bananas.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does avalose podi take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
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