Aval laddu also called Poha Laddu are delicious ladoo or sweet balls made with thick poha or aval (flattened rice or parched rice), jaggery, cashews, raisins, milk and ghee. They make for an easy festive sweet.
Heat a pan. Lower the heat and add the thick poha in it.
On a low heat roast the poha stirring often.
The poha need to become crisp. If some of them become light brown its fine, but they need to be roasted or toasted well. Just break few poha/aval with your fingers and if they snap easily or break easily, they are done.
Remove the poha/aval and add them to a grinder jar.
Now add jaggery powder or finely chopped or grated jaggery.
Grind to a slightly semi-coarse mixture, like that of fine sooji or rava.
Remove this poha and jaggery mixture in a mixing bowl or pan.
Frying cashews and raisins
Now heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a small frying pan.
Add 8 to 10 cashews.
On a low to medium heat, fry the cashews till they start to turn light brown.
Then add the raisins the green cardamom powder.
Fry till the raisins swell up. Stir often while frying.
Making aval laddu
Now add the ghee+cashews+raisins+cardamom mixture to the ground poha and jaggery mixture.
Mix very well with a spoon. Let this mixture cool down.
Then add 2 tablespoon ghee which is in a semi-solid state. Mix thoroughly again.
Now add 1 tablespoon milk. Mix again and start shaping the laddu. If you are not able to make the ladoo, then add ½ to 2 tablespoons more of the ghee. You have to keep on adding ghee till you can easily make the aval laddu
Shape into small poha laddu and keep aside.
Serve the Poha Laddu or Aval Laddu. Or store them in a container and refrigerate.
Notes
The aval laddu recipe can be doubled or tripled.
The cashews and raisins can be skipped.
Coconut oil can be used instead of ghee, but the poha laddu will get the taste and flavor of coconut oil.
Instead of dairy milk, you can use almond milk or cashew milk.
Instead of jaggery, palm jaggery or coconut sugar can also be used.
You can also make these laddu with red poha or red aval.