PALADA PAYASAM

Palada payasam is a traditional sweet desert made in Kerala(south of India) during festivals and special occasions.

In this recipe rice ada and sugar is added to milk and cooked in low heat. To give flavour cardamom powder is added and garnished with cashews and raisins.

I have used double horse palada. Only ada comes with this packet.

INGREDIENTS

Double horse (rice palada)    1/2 tea cup
Milk                                            5 tea cup
Sugar                                         1 tea cup
Ghee/butter                              1 tbsp
Cardamom powder                1 tsp
Cashews                                     5-6
Raisins                                       10

METHOD

In a frying pan heat a tbsp ghee, add the cashew and fry till cashew becomes golden, add the raisins and fry till it puffs up. Take it on to a plate and keep it aside.

Boil milk in a heavy bottomed vessel or a pressure cooker, when it comes to a boil add ada and sugar.

Cook on low heat for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat.

Add cardamom powder, cashews and raisins.

Serve hot or cold.

Note: How to make ada -  soak rice for two hours. Grind the rice into a fine paste,add salt and spread in plaintain leaf. Steam in a rice cooker. Remove and cut in small pieces.

Here I have used ready made ada.

GOTHAMBU PAYASAM

Gothambu payasam is a Kerala sweet dish which is prepared during sadhya and festivals. In Kerala coconut is mainly used in cooking almost in all dishes. Coconut milk is used in vegetarian as well as non vegetarian dishes. Lot of sweet dishes are prepared using coconut milk.

Coconut is one of the food that is classified as "super food". Coconut has lot of health benefits and people who eat lot of coconut are among the healthiest people in the world. It helps to fight bacteria,fungi and viruses. It protects the hair from damage.

I prepared this dish during vishu. Vishu is considered as a festival of light and fireworks, it is an important festival is Kerala.

This is VISHUKANNI. The first thing seen on the day of vishu after waking up. Rice, fruits, vegetables , betel , yellow flowers ( cassia fistula), coins everything is arranged overnight intended to signify prosperity.

INGREDIENTS

Broken wheat/ dalia          1 teacup
Coconut grated                   3/4 or 2 teacup
Cardamom powder           2 tsp
Ghee                                      1 tbsp
Jaggery                                  300-400gm

FOR GARNISHING

Cashew                        1 tbsp
Raisins                          1 tbsp
Thin coconut slices     1 tbsp 

METHOD

Grind 2 tea cup grated coconut with 2 teacup water.

Take a muslin cloth and spread on top of a vessel.

Add the ground coconut and gather the muslin cloth and squeeze nicely and collect the coconut milk in the vessel.

This is our first coconut milk which will be very thick.

Again add the squeezed coconut in the blender and add two teacup water and blend. In a different vessel squeeze the grated coconut and collect the coconut milk. This is our second coconut milk, which is thin in consistency.

Wash broken wheat two-three times. For one tea cup broken wheat add 2 tea cup water. Keep it in a deep bottomed vessel. Keep the vessel in a pressure cooker. Pressure cook for 5-6 whistles.

In a deep bottomed vessel boil 2 tea cup water. Add jaggery stir till they melt. Strain the jaggery syrup to remove impurities.

In a deep bottomed vessel add the broken wheat and jaggery syrup. Cook in a low flame for  2-3 minutes.

Add the 2nd coconut milk( thin consistency) and cook on low to medium heat for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add the first thick coconut milk (thick consistency) and cook for 8-10 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat.

Add the powdered cardamom powder and mix well.

Heat a small frying pan pour ghee saute the cashews till they are golden brown. Add raisins till they pop up. Take it out. Add the coconut pieces and fry till they are golden brown. Add cashew, raisins and coconut pieces to the payasam and mix well.

Serve  hot or cold.