My Kitchen Adventures with Tamil Snacks
Okay, so the other day, I was craving something quick, you know? Like really quick. And something Tamil. My mind immediately went to snacks, those easy ones my paati used to whip up in minutes. I wasn’t aiming for anything fancy, just something to hit the spot.
First thing I thought of was Aval Nanachathu. Super simple stuff. I rummaged through my pantry. Found some thin aval (poha, flattened rice). Perfect, thin ones get soft real fast. Didn’t even bother washing them much, just a quick rinse, drained it immediately. You gotta be quick, otherwise, it turns to mush.
Then, I grabbed the coconut. Didn’t have fresh grated coconut, which is the best, honestly. Had to use the frozen kind. Thawed it a bit. Not quite the same texture, but hey, needs must. Dumped a good amount onto the aval.
Next up, sweetness. I usually like jaggery powder, gives it that earthy taste. Found some in the back. Sprinkled a decent amount. Maybe a bit too much? Hard to tell until you mix it. Added a pinch of cardamom powder too, crushed the pods myself right then. And I had one slightly overripe banana sitting there, so I mashed that in as well. Gives it extra softness and flavour, you know?
Mixed everything gently with my hands. The aval was softening up nicely with the moisture from the banana and the little water it soaked up. It looked okay, maybe a bit clumpy because of the banana.
Taste Test Time
Took a spoonful. Hmm. It was sweet, definitely. Maybe slightly too sweet with the banana and the jaggery. And yeah, the frozen coconut wasn’t as juicy. But was it quick? Heck yes. Took like, five minutes tops. And it did satisfy that craving for a simple, homely snack.
Round Two: Spiced Pori
Since I was already in snack mode, and the Aval thing was almost too quick, I thought, why not make some Masala Pori? Another classic. Had a big bag of pori (puffed rice) lying around.
This one’s even easier, requires zero cooking if you have the fried bits ready.
- Dumped a load of pori into a big bowl.
- Added salt, a bit of turmeric powder (just for colour, really), and some red chili powder.
- Found some roasted peanuts in a jar. Threw them in.
- Also had some pottukadalai (roasted gram dal). In they went.
- I sometimes add a drizzle of coconut oil, but I skipped it this time. Just wanted it dry and crunchy.
Gave it all a good toss. Making sure the spices coated everything evenly. You have to be gentle, don’t want to crush the pori.
The Verdict
This one? Instant hit. Crunchy, spicy, salty. Perfect munching snack. Took literally two minutes. Between the sweet Aval Nanachathu and the spicy Masala Pori, my snack attack was sorted. Nothing complicated, nothing fancy. Just good old easy Tamil snacks, made right then and there. Sometimes, that’s all you need.