Godu Phovu / Sweet Beaten Rice.

Godu Phovu / Sweet Beaten Rice / Gud Poha / Bella Avalakki … A traditional Amchi Konkani Saraswat Naivedyam / Prasadam offered to God during festive season’s and also on many other occassions … Today being the last Friday of Shravana Masa Choodi Poojan, I prepared this as Naivedyam for Tulsi Maiyya … Stay Blessed … 

Preparing of Godu / Sweet Poha (pova, beaten rice, avalaki) is a must at most festive seasons specially during Shravana Masa Choodi Puja and Tulasi Pooja during the Kartik Masa Month. This is offered as Naivedyam to God and then distributed among family and friends. We Konkani Saraswat have a tradition of preparing choodi / chudi an assorted flower and durva / dibrankara in konkani (five pointed grass) tied together and offering the same to Tulsi and other God’s in our Puja Mandir at home along with veedo / veeda (Betel leaf with Supari (Betel Nut)). I will soon write an article on this traditional puja when time permits.Today being the last puja day during the month of Shravan I prepared this Gud Poha as an Naivedyam. I have already posted this a few years back, but then I had not added in the nuts and til. Today I have prepared the same with a little bit of difference. So without going into much details writing the recipe once again here ….

Ingredients :

Jaggery / Gud : 250 gms

Beaten Rice / Poha / Povu (Thin Variety) : approximately 500 gms.

Freshly grated Coconut : 2 cups (heaped)

Cashew nut pieces : ½ cup

Black Til / Sesame : 2 tblsp

White Til / Sesame : 3 tblsp

Ghee : 1 tblsp

Cardamom Powder : 1 tsp

** Roast finely chopped cashew nuts, black til and white til separately and allow to cool. Mix them and keep them aside.

** Melt gud / goda / jaggery cut into pieces in a thick bottomed kadai on low heat. You can add in a tablespoon of water if desired, ie if you feel it will get burnt at the bottom. I have not as with practice, you adjust the heat and melt the jaggery by stirring often.

** Let the jaggery completely melt, now on medium heat bring it to a boil. Once it comes to a full boil, lower the heat and let cook of 5-8 minutes only. You should be careful at this step as the jaggery should not get overcooked or else it will turn hard. You should get just about one thread consistency.

** Immediately add in the finely grated fresh coconut (only the top white part of the coconut should be used). Mix well and keep stirring for 3-5 minutes. Keep the heat low and do not overcook this or else again the chances of caramelisation increases. 

** Add ghee and mix well, leave to cool completely. This is called churnu / churan. Once the churnu has cooled to room temperature. Add in the roasted nuts, cardamom powder and til, mix well and then add in the beaten rice / poha little by little while mixing it with the churan all the time. 

** Do not add the poha in one go, keep mixing and adding till you find that the churan is getting mixed well into the poha and not turning dry. The amount of poha to be added really depends on the thickness and wetness of the churan. So this is something that is left to individual judgement. 

** Note : You have to be careful towards the addition of poha at the end and plz. do not add further if you find it getting too dry as the poha dries out a little bit later on too. I have given approximate amount of poha, you may increase or decrease the amount to be added as per your judgement. 

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