Malabar Aval Milkshake

This post has been in my drafts for the past two years. I tried this milkshake as soon as I saw it on PJ's blog and again the day after for my son and many more times later. A proof of how much I liked it. This is an unusual milkshake made with aval (poha aka flattened rice) and is supposedly a popular drink in the Malabar region of Kerala, a south Indian state. I can guess why. It was like a banana milkshake taken to another level by topping it with crisp toasted flattened rice flakes and peanuts. 

The crunchy rice flakes and peanuts add an interesting and contrasting texture to the otherwise smooth shake. While the texture of this drink was what made it appealing to me,  surprisingly it had an opposite reaction on my son who is otherwise an ardent lover of milkshakes. And so, I suppose it is not everyone's cup of shake. 😊

Ingredients:
1 tsp. ghee
2 tbsp. poha / flattened rice 
1 small banana
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 cup chilled milk
1 tbsp. toasted and skinned peanut halves

Directions:
* Heat ghee in a pan and add peanuts. Toast them until they turn golden brown. Remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer onto a plate.
* Now add the flattened rice to the same pan and toast on low flame until the flakes turn crisp. Take care not to burn them.
* Chop the banana into discs and roughly mash the pieces with the back of a spoon. (We don't need banana puree here and so don't go grabbing the blender.) Add sugar to the banana and mix well.
* Take a tall serving glass and add the mashed banana to it. Sprinkle half of the fried flattened rice and half the peanuts over the banana. Pour the chilled milk over it.
* Garnish it with the remaining flattened rice and peanuts. Serve immediately.

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