I remember those Fridays when a strange rhythmic grating sound would greet me early in the morning. I would go to the kitchen to investigate, only to find my mother grating a fresh raw coconut. I would swoop down and before she could move it away, would take a handful of grated coconut and put it in my mouth, turning to return an evil smile to my mother who would be scolding me (because that was quite a handful I used to take)

Faw as it’s called, is one of the most easy to prepare, nutritious and cheap breakfast dish of our town. Faw is nothing but flakes made out of crushed grains of rice and dried. “4 rice grains make one flake of faw”, my mother would say. It’s called flattened rice in English and is also the main ingredient of a famous North Indian dish ‘Poha’.

• It’s quite cheap and easy to prepare because all you need is Faw, grated coconut and jaggery. You don’t even need to light a fire for its preparation.
• It’s nutritious because it’s made up mainly of rice flakes and coconut, elements that will give a good boost of energy at the beginning of your day.

Ingredients (serves 2 people):

1. Faw/ rice flakes (two handfuls)
2. Jaggery (as per your taste)
3. Grated coconut (half)
4. Half a cup of water

Method:

• Grate a fresh and raw coconut finely and keep it aside.
• Chop jaggery in small pieces. It should not be too finely chopped as it will dissolve. The jaggery needs to be visible as small bits.
• Now, mix Faw, raw coconut and jaggery. Make sure that you are not too rough while mixing.
• The grated raw coconut will ooze out enough water so that you may not have to water separately. However, if it is too dry, add some water.
• It’s advised not to mix the ingredients unless you are sure the dish will be consumed within 15 to 20 minutes as the grated coconut may exude water and make the whole thing soggy.

Sadly, in the last decade, Faw is seeing a slow push-out from our kitchens. Due to its cost friendly ingredients and ease of preparation, many youngsters mistakenly consider it to be a diet only chosen in circumstances of financial instability. While it’s true that it is the breakfast of choice for many households who are struggling financially, it still remains a highly beneficial and nutritious source of energy.

SahilOnline Food & Culture is a new section where we will present glimpses from the unique cuisine of Bhatkal and Coastal Karnataka. The images and preparation details are provided by Tastes of Bhatkal, a distinguished facebook page managed by a team of creative ladies from Bhatkal. Tastes of Bhatkal is working in collaboration with SahilOnline with the aim of establishing Bhatkal as a hub of mouth-watering cuisine and healthy food.