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Hachida avalakki is a quick snack (if already prepared and stored), which would always be available in almost all my relatives homes.
My mom makes sure this is always available at home as my dad has this every evening watching evening news, its almost a ritual for him :-).... Whenever me and my bro have visited our usha maushi's home in Hubli for evening walk or to take break from studies during exams, she had, most of the times, given us this avalakki mixed with freshly grated coconut, finely chopped cilantro, a bit of sugar and lemon juice...wow the feeling was exhilarating :-)..I miss those days so very much :(
Another memory I have of this avalakki is from weddings....a packet of avalakki, chakli and undi would be given to all relatives as they are about to leave after the wedding....someone would hurriedly come and tell the hostess that this particular family is leaving, and a flurry of activities would follow.......hostess would stop what she was doing, call the family, give them presents(usually saree for aunties and shirt-pant pieces for uncles), and then frantically search for that big bag(usually a big white bag with its contents written on it, boldly) which would have had packets of avalakki,chakli and undi, give it to aunty and thank them for gracing the occasion and wishing them a happy journey, asking them if they want a dinner or lunch packed , and finally requesting them to call as soon as they reache home :) ........I vividly remember this from all my cousin's weddings.....one of my favourite times during wedding......oh boy, how much I miss those times....I do not remember what it was like during my wedding :(
My mom makes sure this is always available at home as my dad has this every evening watching evening news, its almost a ritual for him :-).... Whenever me and my bro have visited our usha maushi's home in Hubli for evening walk or to take break from studies during exams, she had, most of the times, given us this avalakki mixed with freshly grated coconut, finely chopped cilantro, a bit of sugar and lemon juice...wow the feeling was exhilarating :-)..I miss those days so very much :(
Another memory I have of this avalakki is from weddings....a packet of avalakki, chakli and undi would be given to all relatives as they are about to leave after the wedding....someone would hurriedly come and tell the hostess that this particular family is leaving, and a flurry of activities would follow.......hostess would stop what she was doing, call the family, give them presents(usually saree for aunties and shirt-pant pieces for uncles), and then frantically search for that big bag(usually a big white bag with its contents written on it, boldly) which would have had packets of avalakki,chakli and undi, give it to aunty and thank them for gracing the occasion and wishing them a happy journey, asking them if they want a dinner or lunch packed , and finally requesting them to call as soon as they reache home :) ........I vividly remember this from all my cousin's weddings.....one of my favourite times during wedding......oh boy, how much I miss those times....I do not remember what it was like during my wedding :(
Ingredients
- Thin Poha : 6 cups
- Putani or Roasted Gram : 1 cup
- Ground nuts : 1 cup
- Finely chopped curry leaves : approx 10, but more the better
- Finely chopped green chillies : 15 or as per taste
- Sugar : to taste (optional)
- Salt to taste
- Menthed-hittu : 1 1/2 tsp (optional)
- Cashew nuts (optional)
- Raisins (optional)
For tempering :
- Oil : 10 tsp (I usually eyeball it)
- Mustard seeds : 5 tsp
- Jeera : 5 tsp
- Hing : 1/2 tsp
- Haldi :1 1/2 to 2 tsp
The right quantity of tempering is important as it is mixed with avalakki.
Method :
- Heat the pan and pour oil. When oil is hot, add mustard seeds, jeera, haldi, hing,curry leaves, roasted gram(putani), raisins, cashew-nuts and ground-nuts.Lower the flames and simmer for few min. Keep the pan aside.
- Microwave thin poha for 45 sec or heat them over low flame till they are crisp (which usually takes 5-6 min)
- Spread poha on a large plate and pour the tempering. Add salt and sugar.Mix them well.
- If poha appears oily, heat more poha and add it to the mixture and adjust salt and sugar to taste.If you are short of tempering, prepare it and add to mixture.
- Keep adjusting, either adding poha or making tempering, till you find the avalakki
tasty :-) - Then add methed-hittu and mix well.
It is a well followed custom that if someone offers you this type of avalakki, you do not refuse it....you take at least a spoonful of it. The reason being the story of Krishan and Sudhama. Krishna and Sudhama were classmates in the ashram of Sandipini, also best friends. After the completion of their education, they went their ways. One day, Sudhama, a poor brahmin, was forced by his wife to seek Krishna's blessings to rid them of their poverty. Legend has it that, Sudhama took along with him this type of avalakki and Lord Krishna took two fistful of them, thus blessing Sudhama with riches. So if you refuse it, whenever you are offered, you know what you will be deprived of.
I have not yet got control over measure of avalakki or poha Vs the tempering so I keep adjusting, either making more tempering or adding more avalakki, till I am happy with the taste and look of poha.When poha is ready, eat it as-is or add finely chopped raw veggies like tomatoes, cucumber, onion, onion leaves, simla mirch(capsicum) etc and finally garnishing with freshly grated coconut and cilantro.
