Ingredients

For Coconut Milk

To make the coconut milk

1. Grate the coconut.
2. Add 1 cup warm water to the grated coconut and blend it to a smooth paste.
3. Strain the blended mixture and squeeze the residue to extract the milk. 
4. Add the strained coconut and the remaining ½ cup water to the blender to extract the milk again. Ensure that the milk is of thick consistency.

Directions

1. Wash the poha and drain the water. Keep aside for 15 mins.
2. Wash the dates and soak them for 15 mins with a little bit of water.
3. After 15 mins, add the dates and the soaked water to a blender and blend to a fine paste.
4. Add 1.5 cups water to a pot and bring to a simmer.
5. Add the washed poha and give a good stir.
6. Add the turmeric leaf, soaked cashews, and soaked raisins, Give a good stir and cook for a minute. Turn off the flame before adding the rest of the ingredients.
7. Add the date paste and mix it well with the poha.
8. Add the coconut milk, cardamom powder, and salt, and give a good stir.
9. Cover the pot and let the poha rest for 30 mins. The poha will absorb some of the liquid and will get a nice creamy consistency.
10. The sweet poha is ready to serve.

Notes

• The turmeric leaf is optional. It’s recommended since it gives a nice fragrance.
• Ensure the coconut milk is of thick consistency. This helps the poha to become creamy.
• Ensure you use all the water in which the dates are soaked since it absorbs the sweetness and nutrients of the dates.
• The date paste, coconut milk, cardamom powder, and salt are added after switching off the flame since they cook in the residual heat. This also helps retain the nutrients.

CONTRIBUTOR : Deepali Gaonkar