Poha Halwa (Aval Kesari) – Quick Festive Indian Dessert

In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add sugar, cardamom powder or 4 pods, saffron or turmeric, and salt.

Stir until the sugar dissolves completely, which takes about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.

In a dry pan, roast the poha on low-medium heat for 2-3 minutes until it turns crisp.

Let it cool slightly, then pulse it in a blender to make a coarse powder, but not very fine.

Heat ghee in the same pan.

Add the roughly chopped or diced almonds and fry until lightly golden. Remove and keep aside.

If using additional dry fruits like raisins, fry them separately until they puff up.

In the same ghee, add the ground poha and roast for 3-4 minutes until aromatic.

Gradually pour the prepared sugar syrup into the roasted poha, stirring continuously to avoid lumps.

Cook the mixture until it thickens and starts leaving the sides of the pan, reaching a pudding-like consistency, which takes about 5-8 minutes.

Stir in the fried almonds and other dry fruits if using, mix well, and turn off the heat.

Poha Halwa is ready! Enjoy!