Wash the poha / aval well in running water couple of times and then drain the water entirely. Let it sit for about 10 minutes to soften a bit. I used thin poha and hence it became soft very quickly. If using thicker variety, you might want to sprinkle some water every now and then and let it soak a little longer.

If using cashew nuts, heat a pan with about a teaspoon of ghee and then roast the cashews. Remove it and keep aside.

Measure the jaggery in the same pan and add just enough water to cover the jaggery. I added about ¼ cup of water. Let the jaggery melt and come to a boil. If needed strain the syrup and then bring it back to boil. Make thick syrup out of the jaggery. There is no hard and fast rule of how thick the syrup should be. If it is thick syrup, there is less stirring after we add the aval / poha, but there is no going wrong in the recipe.

Now add the grated coconut and the softened aval / poha to the syrup and stir well to coat. Add the cardamom powder and mix well. The mixture will liquefy a bit and then will begin to thicken again. Add the ghee and stir until the mixture starts to leave the sides of the pan.

Turn off the flame and garnish with cashews and roasted coconut (optional).