AVAL MIXTURE

This is probably the easiest of all the bakshanams. You just have to have everything around you ready, heat the oil, and it is done in  a jiffy. Compared to the bakshanams which are made out of besan, I think, Aval Mixture is light on the tummy too.

Ingredients

                                                   Thick Aval / Poha / Beaten rice - 3 cups
                                                    Fried grams - 3/4 cup
                                                    Peanuts - 3/4 cup
                                                    Cashews, broken - 1/2 cup
                                                    Curry leaves, washed - 3/4 cup
                                                    Salt to taste
                                                    Hing powder - 1/2 tsp
                                                    Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
                                                    Chilli powder - 2 tsps (Can increase it if you want it spicier)
                                                    Refined oil to fry everything

                                                Recipe Cuisine: South Indian; Category: Snacks
                                                Prep time: 10 mts; Cooking time: 25 mts

                                                             Yields roughly 1/2 kg (1 lb) mixture

                               First keep a broad plate ready, lined with kitchen napkins

Fry the cashews and...............

drop them over the lined plate

fried grams getting fried...

drop them too

Now is the turn of the curry leaves

This is how I fry the Aval / poha. Otherwise, by the time you take out everything, Poha will become dark brown in colour and over fried too. Keep this kind of a strainer with handle inside the hot oil.....

drop a handful of Poha...see, it has become a hassle free job now

All the fried Poha dropped on the plate too.

Peanuts getting fried now.

After switching off, take 2 tsps of the hot oil in a small cup, add the hing powder, turmeric powder, chilli powder, mix well and add to the mixture.

Salt also added. Mix well, gently of course.

Mixture is ready. In the north, this is called Chivda.

Store in airtight containers, after the mixture cools down completely.

Categories: Bakshanams(savoury snacks), Festival Delicacies, Janmashtami neivedhyams, Navarathri Neivedhyams, Snacks