Navaratri Day 1 ~ Neipayasam & Vella Avil

I make  payasam for nivedhyam, after the pooja in the morning, during Navarathri. Sundals are for evening. So it is two prasadom at home for the nine days. This time I decided to make different payasams on all the nine days. Else it used to be vella payasam ( jaggery and rice payasam) on most of the days.

Day ~1
Neipayasam  & Vella Avil

I have already posted the recipe for Neipayasam .

Vella Avil  ~  Beaten rice flakes cooked in jaggery syrup

Avil/Beaten rice flakes - 2 cups


Powdered jaggery - 1 1/2 cup

Water -1/2 cup

Ghee - 2 tablespoon

Fresh grated coconut - 3 tblspn

Powdered cardamom/elaichi - 1 tspn

Thick variety of avil is usually used for making.. If you can get the matta/brown avil , all the more better. Wash and soak in enough water for 10 minutes. Drain and squeeze the water out of the avil. Leave it on the colander for 5 minutes.

Melt jaggery in 1/2 cup water. Strain to remove impurities if any. Heat the syrup to one thread conistency. check the consistency by dropping little syrup in a tablespoon of water. You should be able to roll it into a smooth ball. Stir in the soaked avil. Gently mix. Continue cooking till all the moisture dries up. Add ghee, grated coconut and cardamom and mix well. It might look sticky and goeey. When it comes to room temperature, avil will look separate and firm.