Palada Pradhaman | Palada Payasam Recipe | Onam Sadhya- Payasam Recipe

Palada Pradhaman

Rich and delicious dessert prepared using rice flakes,milk and sugar.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 1.5 to 2 hours
Serves: 4 to 5
Ingredients:

1. Homemade ada,cut into very small pieces- 1 to 1.5 Cups( see notes)
2. Ghee - 3 tsp
3. Water - 4 cups( 1 ltr)
4. Milk - 4 cups( 1 ltr)
5. Sugar - 1cup( 200 gms or to taste)
6. Sugar,for caramel - 1 tbsp( optional)
7. Salt - 1 pinch

Instructions:

Heat ghee in a pan,add water and bring it to a boil.

Once it starts to boil,add milk .

Add 1/4 cup sugar and cook over medium heat,stirring continuously until it comes to a boil.

Reduce the flame to medium low and cook till the volume is reduced to half( i.e 1 Ltr) and slightly thick ,for about 45 minutes.Stir well in between to avoid burning.Next add homemade ada and mix well.(If you are using store bought ada,cook it until soft and wash using cold water to remove the stickiness,drain and add it to the reduced/thickened milk).Cook for about 10 to 15  minutes over medium low flame or until you see ada-flakes on the surface of the payasam.

Now add the remaining 3/4 cup sugar and mix well.(Start with 1/2 cup sugar and add more according to your taste.).Cook for another 5 minutes or until the payasam turns slightly thick.Switch off the stove and transfer the payasam to a serving bowl after  about 10 minutes.

OPTIONAL STEPS-Traditionally ,while making palada pradhaman the quantity of water used is double the quantity of milk.i.e 2 Ltrs of water for 1 Ltr milk.The water ,milk( 2 Ltr water + 1Ltr milk) and 1/4 of the total sugar mixture is cooked until it is reduced to 30% of the  initial quantity .i.e approx 900ml.When the water evaporates completely the colour of the milk changes to a pale pink.This may take almost 3 to 4 hours.However here i have reduced the quantity of water to 1 Ltr in order to cut down the cooking time and hence ,i could get only a pale cream colour ,as you can see in the picture above.In order to obtain the desired pale pink colour, caramel syrup can be added to the payasam.However the following steps are completely optional.

In a pan,melt 1.5 to 2 tbsp sugar .Gently swirl the pan for even cooking.

Cook over medium low heat until it turns deep amber.( make sure you do not burn it,or else payasam will turn bitter)Next add 1/4 cup hot water and mix well until combined.Switch off the stove and allow it to cool completely.

Add this caramel syrup to the payasam,starting with 2 tablespoons and add more as required.Mix well until combined.

Here you can see the colour difference before and after adding the caramel sauce.

NOTES

• I used homemade ada for the pradhaman ,you can find the recipe here.
• If you are using store bought ada ,use about 100 gms.For best results, use rice ada. 
• Adjust the quantity of sugar according to your taste.
• I feel adding caramel syrup gives a nice flavor to the payasam i.e almost similar to the authentic sadhya palada pradhaman.
  
  

Carrot Halwa | Gajar Halwa | Indian Sweet Recipes

Carrot Halwa

Popular Indian sweet/pudding made using grated carrots and milk.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 5 to 6
Ingredients:

1. Ghee - 3 to 4 tbsp
2. Grated carrots - 4 cups( 4 to 5 large carrots)
3. Milk- 4 cups
4. Sugar - 3/4 cup( or to taste)
5. Cardamom powder- 1/4 tsp
6. Cashew nuts- 15 to 18
7. Ghee- to fry cashew nuts

Instructions:

Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan .

Add grated carrots and saute for 5 to 7 minutes.Next add milk and bring it to a boil.

Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes over low flame ,stirring well in between.Cook until the carrots are soft and the milk is evaporated.

Now add sugar and mix well.Cook until it turns thick for about 3 to 4 minutes,stirring well in between.Fry cashew nuts in ghee until it turns golden brown and add it to the halwa.Mix well and serve warm or chilled. and serve.

NOTES

• Adjust the quantity of sugar according to your taste.
• You can also add one pinch saffron along with the milk for better flavor.
• I actually scaled down the recipe to 1/2,as you can see in the pics.
  

Oreo Cookies and Cream No-Bake Cheesecake

Oreo cookies and cream No-Bake cheesecake

Quick and easy No- bake cookies and cream cheesecake.
Recipe source: countrycleaver.com, you can find the original recipe here.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: - minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
For cookie base:

1. Oreo cookies- 10 to 12
2. Melted butter - 2 tbsp

For crust:

1. Heavy cream- 3/4 cup
2. Cream cheese - 1 cup
3. Lemon juice- 1 tsp
4. Vanilla extract- 3/4 tsp
5. Sugar- 3 to 4 tbsp( or according to taste)
6. Crushed Oreos-1/4 cup

Instructions:

To prepare cookie base: Crush  Oreo cookies in a blender to form fine crumbs.Add melted butter and mix well.Divide the crumbs between 4 or 5 serving cups and gently press the crumbs into the bottom of  each serving cup.Refrigerate until required.

To prepare filling:In a bowl,beat heavy cream until medium peaks form.Keep aside.

In another bowl,mix together cream cheese,lemon juice,vanilla extract and sugar until smooth.Now fold in the whipped cream.

Gently fold in the crushed Oreo cookies.

Spoon or pipe this cheesecake mixture into each serving cup.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.Top with crushed Oreos ,if desired.

NOTES

• Check the recipe for homemade cream cheese here.

Pineapple Payasam | Pineapple Kheer

Pineapple Payasam

Quick ,easy and delicious pineapple kheer /Pudding
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6 to 10
Ingredients:

1. Sago pearls /Chowari-1 cup( approx 200 gms)
2. Pineapple,chopped- 1 cup,heaped
3. Sugar- 3 to 4 tbsp ( or according to taste)
4. Milk(Full fat)-1 ltr
5. Condensed milk- 1 tin( 400 gm)
6. Water-as required

Instructions:

Gently wash sago and drain well.Cook  sago with plenty of water ( about 5 to 6 cups) until it turns translucent.Drain well and add cold water to avoid sticking.

Drain the sago pearls and keep aside.Finely chop the pineapple pieces.

In a pan,combine together chopped pineapple and 1 tbsp sugar.Cook for few minutes or until it turns almost dry.Allow this to cool completely.Keep aside.

In a heavy bottomed pan,combine together milk and condensed milk.Bring it to just under a boil.

Now add cooked sago pearls and sugar to taste.Mix well and cook for few minutes ,stirring continuously  until it turns slightly thick.Allow it to cool completely.

Once it has cooled ,add the cooked pineapple and mix well.Serve chilled.

NOTES

• Do not add pineapple to hot milk,if you do so it may curdle.
  

Semiya Payasam | Vermicelli Kheer | Kerala Sadhya Recipe

Semiya Payasam /Vermicelli Kheer

Quick and easy vermicelli payasam / kheer using condensed milk.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 8 to 10
Ingredients:

1. Cashew nuts/almonds and raisins- 2 tbsp each ( or as required)
2. Vermicelli/semiya - 1 cup ,heaped
3. Milk-8 to 9 cups( about 2 ltr)
4. Sweetened condensed milk- 1 Tin( 400 gm)
5. Sugar- 3 to 4 tbsp( or according to taste)
6. Cardamom powder,freshly ground- 1/2  tsp
7. Ghee- 1 to 2 tbsp

Instructions:

Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan,add cashew nuts/almonds and when it turns golden ,add raisins and fry till it turns plump.Drain on to a kitchen towel.Keep aside.

Add vermicelli to the same pan and fry,stirring continuously  until it turns golden brown over medium flame .Keep aside.

Heat milk in a heavy bottomed pan over  medium flame.Bring it a boil , add the fried vermicelli and mix well.Cook over low heat ,stirring well in between until vermicelli turns soft and is done.

Now add condensed milk and sugar to taste.Mix well and cook until it turns slightly thick.

Switch off the stove,add cardamom powder and mix well.Garnish with fried cashew nuts and raisins.If it turns really thick add more milk to adjust the consistency.

NOTES

• Adjust the quantity of sugar according to your taste.
• Semiya payasam tends to get thick when it cools down,to adjust the consistency add more milk and heat for few minutes.

Neipayasam | Sharkara Payasam

Nei Payasam

Traditional Kerala rice pudding with jaggery and grated coconut.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 10 to 12
Ingredients:

1. Raw rice /Unakkalari-1 cup
2. Jaggery,grated-1 and 1/4 to 1.5 cups
3. Grated coconut-1.5 cups
4. Ghee-3 to 4 tbsp
5. Cardamom powder-3/4 tsp
6. Dry Ginger powder-1/4 tsp
7. Water-as required
8. cashew nuts and raisins-as required

Instructions:

Wash rice well ,cook rice in a pressure cooker adding sufficient quantity of water,just until done.Drain and keep aside

Combine together grated jaggery and 1/2 cup water in a pan / uruli.( Strain the melted jaggery ,to remove impurities,if required).Cook for few minutes or until it turns slightly thick.

Now add cooked rice and mix well.Cook for about 5 minutes,stirring well in between.

Add ghee and mix well until combined.Add grated coconut ,mix well and cook for few minutes.

Add cardamom,and ginger powder.Mix well until combined. Granish with cashew nuts and raisins.

Notes:

• You can fry cashew nuts and raisins in ghee ,if desired.
• Adjust the quantity of jaggery according to your taste.
• As this payasam is very rich,it is usually served in small portions.
• The quantity of ghee can be adjusted according to your taste.
  

Eggless Chocolate Self- Saucing Pudding | Recipe with step by step pictures

Eggless Chocolate Self- Saucing Pudding

Chocolate self saucing pudding - a light chocolate sponge with rich fudge like sauce,served with ice cream /cream.
Recipe source-Taste.com, you can find the original recipe here.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Serves: 6 people
Ingredients:

1. Caster sugar-3/4 cup
2. Self raising flour,sifted-1 cup(see notes)
3. Cocoa powder,sifted- 2 tbsp
4. Butter,melted-50 gms( 3.5 tbsp)use vegan butter,if desired
5. Milk-1/2 cup( use non-dairy milk for vegan option)
6. Vanilla extract-1/4 tsp
7. Brown sugar-1/3 cup
8. Cocoa powder-2 tsp
9. Boiling powder- 1 cup
10. Ice cream/ cream-to serve
11. Butter-to grease the ramekins

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 180 deg C.Brush the ramekins/ovenproof dish with butter.

In a mixing bowl,combine together caster sugar,self raising flour and 2 tbsp cocoa powder.

Add melted butter, milk and vanilla extract.Mix well,just until combined.

In another bowl combine together brown sugar and 2 tsp cocoa powder.Keep aside.

Transfer the batter to 4 or 6 greased ramekins ( or a large ovenproof dish).Sprinkle the brown sugar-cocoa mixture evenly over the batter.

Gently pour boiling water over this .Do not stir.Bake for about 25 minutes.Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

NOTES

•  To prepare 1 cup self raising flour mix together 1 cup all purpose flour with 1.5 tsp baking powder and 1/ 4 tsp salt until combined.