Goan Vonn/Vorne Recipe
Goan Vonn/Von/Vorne Recipe
Vonn/Von/Vorne is a Traditional Goan Dessert that is made from Coconut Milk and Palm Jaggery. This dessert used to be served and is still continued to be served in Bardez and the North side of Goa, by the Goan Catholic families who organise a special lunch for the neighbours and relatives, in rememberance of the deceased members/ancestors of their respective family, in order to seek their blessings and to pray for their souls. This lunch is usually organised when people build a new home or when there is a marriage in the family or when a person from the family passes away. This lunch in particular is called 'Bikareanchem Jevonn' which means 'Food for the Beggars' wherein, the poor people of the village used to be invited for this lunch. However as years passed by, it started getting into a fun filled tradition more like an ocassion wherein the entire village is invited to this feast! The tradition is that the people are made to sit on the floor in batches of say 20-25 people at a time, and the food is served on a plate made of dried leaves and the Von is served in a bowl made of dried leaves. This is an experience which I wish for all of you to enjoy!As a child, I have enjoyed many such 'Bikareanchem Jevonns' in my Village, called Saipem in Goa and I am so happy that I got the privilege of experiencing this beautiful tradition😊😊😊In recent times, I've seen Vonn being served as a dessert at most Goan functions like weddings, parties, picnics, etc.This is my Mom's traditional recipe and I'm sure you're going to love it just the way I do!
Servings 20 people
Ingredients
- 4 Large Coconuts (grated)
- 600 Gms Palm Jaggery (grated)
- 450 Gms Channa Dal (I love a lot of chana dal in my Vonn, you can add less if wish)
- 1.5 Cups Rice (I use white basmati rice, because I feel the fat rice leaves a 'grainy' texture in the Vonn which I personally don't enjoy. But you can use the traditional Goa rice if you wish)
- 15 Green Cardamom
- 1 Cup Cut Assorted Dry Fruits (optional)
- 2 Tspn Salt
- 1 Cup Water (for soaking the rice)
- Water (for grinding the grated coconuts to extract the juice)
- Water (for boiling the chana dal)
Instructions
- Wash the chana dal till the water runs clear and soak it in a large bowl for 2 hours
- After 2 hours, add the chana dal along with water and 2 tspn salt, in a pressure cooker, close the pressure cooker and boil the chana dal giving it just one whistle on medium flameNote:- as soon as you turn off the gas flame, release all the heat from the pressure cooker by raising the whistle with the help of a spoon. Open the pressure cooker, drain out all the water and remove the chana dal in a bowl. This step is important because if the chana dal is kept in the pressure cooker, it will get further cooked with the heat/steam from the cooker and may turn extremely soft.
- Wash the rice until the water runs clear and soak it in a bowl with 1 cup water for 30 minutes
- After 30 minutes, in a mixer grinder, add the soaked rice and 15 green cardamoms and make a smooth fine paste of this mixture.Note :- Do not add water while grinding because the rice has been soaked in water. If you're having difficulty in rotating the grinder, only then add in about 1 tbspn water and rotate the grinder
- In a mixer grinder, Extract the juice from the grated coconuts, thrice and pour it into a large vessel
- Now add the grated jaggery to the coconut juice and stir it well
- Now place this vessel with the coconut juice and jaggery on medium flame
- Keep stirringNote:- Always stir with a wooden spoon
- As soon as the coconut juice starts boiling, pour the rice paste little by littleTip:- after I make the rice paste, I add about 1/4 cup water to it and stir it well to form a water consistency. By doing this, you can be rest assured there will be no lumps in your vonn while pouring the rice pasteIf the rice paste is too thick, lumps may start forming in the vonnAlso, please DO NOT be in a hurry to pour all the rice paste at once. Pour it very gently and slowly little by little
- Once the Rice paste is added in, keep stirring for at least 15 minutesNote:- The rice is raw and hence it has to cook well plus we have ground it with green cardamoms, which also has to release it's flavour
- After 15 minutes, add the chana dal and dry fruits(if using) and stir for another 10-15 minutes
- Check if you require more jaggery, you can add it at this stage
- Let it boil for another 5-7 minutes and Yippppieeee your Vonn is Toyaaaaaar!!
- Traditionally, Vonn is supposed to be eaten Hot. However, my husband and I love to eat Vonn chilled
- It all depends on how u like it
- Tip:- Vonn, like many other Goan dishes, tastes better when made the previous day... And I like to make it a day in advance so that I get to keep some in the fridge for those who like to eat it chilled like my husband and me😊😊😊Note:- if keeping it in the fridge, let the Vonn cool at room temperature and only then keep it in the fridge