Aval Kesari | Vegan Flattened Rice Pudding

Recipe Video Print

Aval Kesari recipe is a sweet Indian vegan pudding made with poha during Janmashtami. This vegan dessert recipe is easy and quick to make.

Serve this as neivedhyam for Janmashtami or as a dessert on any other festive occasion. It's a classic South Indian dish made vegan!

aval kesari served in a small bowl with a spoon in it

Jump to:

What is Janmashtami
Aval Kesari video 🎥
What is Kesari
What is poha
A backstory
Why make this
Ingredients needed 🧾
How to make it 🔪
Serving suggestions 🍽
Top recipe tips 💭
Recipe FAQs 📖
More vegan desserts
Recipe 📖
Comments 💬

What is Janmashtami

Also known as Krishna Jayanthi or Gokulashtami, it is a Hindu festival celebrated widely across India. This day marks the birth of Lord Shree Krishna.

A charismatic, benevolent God, he was the 8th Avatar (or reincarnation) of Lord Vishnu. As a child, he was extremely mischievous and had a penchant for stealing curd and butter.

Being my favorite God, I always enjoy reading about his several exploits. My niece has been aptly named after him which makes this day all the more special.

Aval Kesari video 🎥

What is Kesari

Kesari is a South Indian delicacy. It's normally made with rawa/semolina/sooji and in some parts of India, it's also known as Sheera.

The word Kesari means orange color tones and in some instances also means saffron. This sweet treat is prepared for all happy and festive occasions.

This particular Kesari recipe is prepared with poha and made during the Indian festival called Janmashtami/Gokulashtami/Krishna Jayanthi.

2 bowls of aval kesari with spoons in it

What is poha

Poha (Aval in Tamil) is a commonly used ingredient in Indian cuisine. It's nothing but rice that’s parboiled, flattened, and dried.

Also known as beaten or flattened rice, they come in two varieties - thick and thin. They also come in white and red colors.

The thick ones when hydrated, become fluffy and absorbent and that is how they are used. We use it to make snacks or breakfast dishes.

Besides making the famous Maharashtrian Kanda Poha, I also make Cilantro Poha and Tamarind Poha using flattened or beaten rice flakes.

The thin ones are added to dosa/idli batters to make them smooth. We also make an Indian trail mix called Poha Chiwda (similar to Rice Krispies Chiwda) with it.

Poha is easily available in Indian grocery stores and on Amazon. They last a couple of months when stored in airtight containers.

A backstory

It's believed that beaten or flattened rice flakes or poha are Lord Krishna's favorite food. That's why it's offered to him as prasadam on his birthday.

There is even a short story associated with this food in Indian mythology which tells us how much he liked it and to what extent he would go, to get it.

It's a cute story about his friendship with Sudama. You can google it. It's a fun read. Poha is a pantry essential in an Indian kitchen.

Why make this

This vegan dessert recipe has many different names. You can call it Aval Kesari, Poha Sheera, Poha Kesari, or Poha Pudding.

I like to make it this way because it's the way my mother-in-law makes it. I feel this Instant Poha Kesari recipe is one of the simplest versions!

A mouthwatering Indian dessert recipe
It's got a soft, and chewy texture and is sweet to taste
Quick and easy to make using basic ingredients
It's a vegan dessert recipe that can also be made with just water and no milk

Ingredients needed 🧾

Poha or Aval is the key ingredient here. You can use thick or thin variety here since it's all going to get mashed up.

Sweetener - I make it using regular white sugar. But you can use any sweetener of your choice like jaggery, brown sugar, cane sugar, etc in this Kesari recipe.

Milk - Use plain unsweetened almond/oats/cashew milk for this recipe. You can also skip adding milk altogether and cook this in just water.

Other basic ingredients are food color (optional), sliced almonds, saffron strands, vegan ghee, or any neutral vegetable oil. You can also add cardamom powder.

Use a good quality non-stick pan to make this dessert because it will stick to the bottom of the pan when cooking.

How to make it 🔪

4 image collage showing how to make aval kesari

Since this popular South Indian vegan pudding comes together so quickly, it's perfect to offer as neivedhyam or prasadam during festivals like Krishna Jayanthi.

Unless told, you will not be able to guess that this vegan dessert recipe is made using beaten rice/poha.

In a pan, add beaten rice, almond milk, and water. There is no need to soak the poha prior.
Add organic orange or yellow food color to the pan. Keep stirring on medium flame till the poha softens and thickens. This could take 5-7 minutes.
Gradually add sugar to it, stir and let this mixture come to a boil. Keep stirring on medium flame and it will begin to thicken. Chef Tip - This could take 8-10 minutes. There should be no lumps formed. Keep scraping the sides of the pan as you stir. Once it stops sticking to the pan and comes together like halwa, add ghee and continue to stir it for another minute.
Chop some nuts and keep saffron strands ready. Take the pudding off the flame and garnish it with sliced almonds, and saffron strands. Chef Tip - Also add cardamon powder now, if you want. Mix it all well and take it off the flame.

a hand digging into a bowl of aval kesari

Serving suggestions 🍽

This vegan pudding will thicken a bit after it cools down. If you want, drizzle some vegan ghee over it when serving. This Aval Kesari can be served hot or cold.

This is popularly served during Krishna Jayanthi or Janmashtami. However, you can prepare this dessert for any festival or occasion and share it with your friends and family.

If you are making this vegan pudding for Gokulashtami, combine it with Curd Rice, and Thattai.

Another way of serving this vegan pudding is to grease a plate with ghee and spread the Kesari on it. After it cools down, cut them in any shape and serve.

Top recipe tips 💭

Make sure the poha or aval is fully cooked before you add sugar to attain a soft texture. Instead of sugar, feel free to use any other variety of sugar or jaggery.

The ratio of poha and milk/water is 1:2. feel free to use any variety of sugar like brown, jaggery, or cane.

Adding food color is optional. You can use natural colors like turmeric. Alternatively, you can skip adding it all together. As a result, the color of this Kesari will then be plain white.

You can also add ghee-fried cashews and raisins for garnish. If you are not vegan, use regular ghee. It will give it an aromatic Indian flavor.

Recipe FAQs 📖

Which type of poha to use?

Thick or thin, white or red poha can be used in this Kesari recipe. Poha can be dry roasted first before being used. You can also coarsely grind it to get a smoother texture.

How to store leftovers?

You can store the Aval Kesari in the fridge for up to a week. It can be kept in the freezer as well for 1-2 months. But it's best made and consumed fresh.

More vegan desserts

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Recipe 📖