At the peak of the relief operations, the District Collector of Thiruvananthapuram Dr. K. Vasuki appealed to residents of the capital city via social media to rush to collection centres with ready-to-eat food such as biscuits, rusk and aval (beaten rice). As an emergency measure, the food was to be air dropped to places that were inundated by the flood to ensure that those stranded would not go hungry.
Suddenly, the old fashioned aval, now mostly used as an offering to the gods, was much in demand again and many shops ran out of aval. In the wake of the floods, beaten rice got a makeover as a ready-to-eat, instant one-minute food. Versatile and easy to make, aval now comes in branded packs, though one can buy it in shops near temples and provision stores too.
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A handful of aval and jaggery is an old-time fast food of Malayalis. Moreover, this humble, easy-to-make-eat is considered to be the food of the gods. It has found a place in mythology, folklore and worship thanks to the story of Kuchela, a poor Brahmin, who went to meet Lord Krishna, his childhood friend, with some beaten rice packed in a rag. In many temples dedicated to Krishna, this is considered a prime offering to the god. Even today, on Kuchela Day, observed as the day when Kuchela went to meet Krishna, a fistful of aval is the prasadam offered at many temples dedicated to Krishna.
Mixed with coconut and jaggery, the dry flakes of rice become soft and moist and can satiate hunger pangs quickly. However, when mixed with coconut, it obviously has to be consumed quickly and cannot stay fresh for long. The mixture has protein, fat, carbs and sugar.
A richer version has aval mixed with melted jaggery, nuts and raisins. That would stay longer than the mixture with fresh coconut and jaggery.
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For those who like it spicy, there is the aval upma with spices and green chilli while hot kanda pohe (as it is called in Maharashtra) with a smattering of coconut as a garnish is a favourite comfort food in Maharashtra.
Nowadays, aval is also used to make a variety of smoothies and payasam too. Since aval does not spoil easily and does not need cooking, it is ideal to pack and carry on long trips.
How to make aval nanachathu
Take the aval. It does not matter whether it is of the red or white variety. Handmade aval is always better than the ones one found in packets unless it happens to be of the organic kind. The handmade ones are a little thicker than the beaten rice made with the help of machines and more tastier too.
Grate jaggery over the aval and add coconut scraped as well. The amount of jaggery and coconut added depends on taste. Mix it well and firmly with your fingers. It is ready to be eaten. Instead of jaggery, sugar can be added but jaggery is healthier.