Aval Vada | Instant Poha Vadai | Beaten rice Snacks

 Aval vada is a crispy snack that can be prepared instantly when you crave having some crisp tea time snacks, especially during monsoon. The thick variety poha is used to make this snacks as the thin poha absorbs moisture very much and so may drink up oil when frying. The other ingredients are easily available in the pantry and can be added. Add chilly flakes or chopped green chillies if you love the vadas spicy. Check the recipe and do give it a try !!

Preparation time ~ 10 minutes

Cooking time ~ 10 minutes

Serves ~ 12-14 vadas

Author ~ Julie

Ingredients 

poha / aval (thick) 2 cups (300 gms)

onion 1/2 cup chopped 

green chillies 2 chopped 

ginger 1 tsp, fine chopped 

yogurt 1/3-1/2 cup

rice flour 1/4 cup-1/8 cup

red dry chillies broken 2 tbsps

coriander leaves 2 tbsps

curry leaves torn 1 sprig

salt to taste

oil to fry

Watch on YouTube -

Method

• Measure the poha(aval) and add enough water to soak the poha. Leave aside for 10 minutes. If you are using thin poha then soak only for 2–3 minutes. But it is better to use thick poha than the thin one as the thin ones absorbs a lot of water.
• After 10 minutes, drain water and squeeze out excess water from the poha and keep aside. In that, add chopped onions, chopped ginger, dry red chillies, coriander leaves, curry leaves, salt.
• Add yogurt (1/3 cup) if it's sour and mix well. To this, add rice flour little by little and give a quick mix. The amount of rice flour depends on the binding. I added only 2 -3 tbsps of rice flour.
• Mix well to a dough that can be shaped like vadas. Pinch out lemon size balls and shape to form vadas. Wet your palms and fingers for easy vada shaping. Keep aside on a plate, and make only 4-5 vadas or as much as you can fry in one batch, or else the vadas dry out before frying and may not hold shape when dropping in oil. 
• Heat oil in a wok and wait till oil is hot. Slide the vadas in the hot oil and don't overcrowd the wok. Gently move the vadas to move and flip once it's lightly browned.
• Flip and fry all sides till golden brown. It takes longer than the regular vadas to fry. Drain from the oil and place on paper towels.
• Similarly shape and fry all the vadas till golden brown. Serve warm with tomato or coconut chutney.
• Enjoy !!

RELATED POSTS

•  Poha (aval)Payasam
•  Kande Poha
•  Poha(aval) Balls
• Aval Velayichathu
• Poha Chivda
• Poha Carrot Kheer

Aval Unda | Poha Laddu ~ Step by Step Pics

Aval(beaten rice) is nothing but rice that is parboiled rolled, flattened and dried to produce rice flakes. Poha is rolled in big rollers which retain the iron from these rollers. So poha is known to be rich in iron and carbohydrate. I frequently make aval nanachathu (with jaggery and coconut) but these days my kids have started rejecting this as they got bored of this. I love aval vilayichathu especially my mom made and it was one of my favorite to carry to hostel on my return back from home, all my friends loved too. However, aval vilayichathu is also a big 'no' to my kids now as they were frequently fed the same whenever my mom visited us or whenever we dropped home.

So now the question was how to feed my kids aval (poha) without much fuss. The mom in me woke and my hunt for aval recipes was on. Maharashtra's famous kande pohe was made a few times and was liked too but as a snack only not breakfast though. Then it was aval vada but it has its own limitations as it was fried in oil. Finally these cute little balls took over which were easy to make, guilt free and healthy. This was loved by all here and have made a few times now at home. The ingredient list is quite simple and is made of jaggery, dates and aval as the main ingredient. Hardly takes any time to combine together and roll them in  the shape of balls. Tastes somewhat like aval vilayichathu but more crunchier. The aval is roasted and powdered to shape in the form of balls. The powdering depends on your taste buds, I love coarsely powdered and so went ahead and did that. But if you love smooth powder, then go ahead and blend more to get smoother powder. The smoother powder is easier to shape in balls than the coarse powdered aval. Do give this a try and enjoy with tea.

Preparation time ~ 10 minutes

Cooking time ~ 15 minutes

Serves ~ 14-16 unda /laddus

Author ~ Julie

Ingredients 

poha / aval / beaten rice 1.5 cups

grated coconut 3/4 cup

jaggery / sharkara 1/2 cup grated 

dates 6-7

cashews 5-6 or 2 tbsp

cardamom powder/ elakka podi 1/2 tsp

ghee / neyyu 1 tbsp 

Method

• Heat a pan and add the poha/ aval/ beaten rice, fry one low flame for 3-4 minutes until it’s crispy.
• Remove on a plate and then add grated coconut in the same pan and fry till it’s lightly browned, moisture is evaporated.
• Transfer the fried aval / poha / beaten rice to a blender jar and pulse thrice. I love biting tiny bits in the unda / laddus so just coarsely powdered, but if you wish to powder smooth then go ahead and powder. In that case it will look and taste similar to ari unda or and the powder will be same as rice flour.

• Then if you are using grated coconut then pulse that too once or twice in the blender jar. I have used half of grated coconut and half of desiccated coconut.
• Heat a pan and add ghee. Add chopped cashews and fry. Switch off flame and add this ghee mixed cashews.

• Then finally add dates chopped, cardamom powder. 
• In a pan, add grated jaggery and add half cup water, melt the jaggery. Strain the impurities once it is melted and return back on flame (it was 1 cup). Let the syrup boil few more minutes till you get a one string consistency.
•  As you get the one string consistency, dump the prepared aval(beaten rice), coconut mixture along with cardamom powder, dates and cashews. Mix well and switch off flame.

• Wait till its easy to handle and you should be quick to make balls like ari unda else the jaggery mixture may go cold and you may not be able to make balls. Apple a little ghee initially in your palm to shape in balls if the mixture is sticky. Leave to cool completely before serving otherwise the balls may be very soft to chew. Once cooled its soft but crunchy. Serve with tea.

RELATED POSTS WITH BEATEN RICE (AVAL)-

* Aval Vilayichathu

* Kande Pohe

* Poha Chivda

* Aval Pradhaman

NOTES
* You can fully powder the aval or beaten rice once fried but that way it tastes more like rice flour and that crunch effect is missing. You can alter as family needs.

* You can use both white or red aval /beaten rice. I have used red aval as its more healthier.