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.
  
  

Beetroot Kichadi | Kerala Sadhya Recipe

Beetroot Kichadi

Beetroot in coconut and yogurt sauce.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 3 to 5
Ingredients:

1. Beetroot, grated - 1/2 cup
2. Green chilies,sliced - 1
3. Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
4. Cumin seeds - 1 fat pinch
5. Yogurt - 3/4 to 1 cup
6. Mustard seeds - 1 pinch
7. Water - as required
8. Salt- to taste( see notes)

For tempering:

1. Mustard seeds - 1/8 tsp
2. Dry Red chilies,cut it into two - 2
3. Shallots,sliced - 2 or 3
4. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
5. Coconut oil - as required

Instructions:

In a pan,add beetroot,green chilies and sufficient quantity of water.Cook until beetroot turns tender.

Grind together coconut and cumin seeds with sufficient quantity of water to form a fine paste.

Next add the coconut paste to the beetroot and cook for a minute or two.Add salt to taste and switch off the stove.Allow this to cool slightly and add yogurt and mix well.

Crush mustard seeds ( using a mortar and pestle) and add it to the curry.Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds,let it splutter .Add red chilies,shallots and curry leaves and saute until it turns golden brown.Add this to the curry and mix well.Add more salt if required.Serve with rice.

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Pavakka Kichadi | Bitter gourd in coconut and yogurt sauce

Pavakka Kichadi

Pavakka Kichadi- Kerala Vishu / Onam sadhya special recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4 to 5
Ingredients:

1. Pavakka /bitter gourd,sliced- 1 medium sized
2. Green chili,sliced-2-3
3. Grated coconut-1/2 cup
4. Cumin seeds-1/8 tsp ( optional)
5. Mustard seeds-1/4 tsp
6. Yogurt-3/4 to 1 cup
7. Water- as required
8. Salt- to taste
9. Oil- as required

For tempering:

1. Mustard seeds-1/4 tsp
2. Shallots / Chumannulli,sliced-2 to 3
3. Dry red chilies- 1 or 2
4. Curry leaves-1 sprig

Instructions:

Heat oil in a pan ,add pavakka/bitter-gourd and green chilies , fry until it turns golden brown and slightly crisp.Drain and keep aside.

Grind together grated coconut , cumin seeds( if using) and just enough water to form a smooth paste.Crush the mustard seeds and add it to the coconut paste.Keep aside.

In a mixing bowl,combine together fried bitter-gourd and green chilies,coconut paste and yogurt.Add salt to taste and mix well.

For tempering,heat oil in a pan,add mustard seeds and let it splutter.Add shallots,dry red chilies and curry leaves,saute until shallots turn golden brown.Add this to the curry and mix well.

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.
  

Kerala Boli | Poli | Sweet lentil flatbread recipe with step by step pictures

Kerala Boli

South Indian sweet  made using channa dal and is usually served with payasam.
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Makes: 20 sweet bolis
Ingredients:
For Dough

1. All purpose flour-1 cup
2. Turmeric powder-1 pinch (see notes)
3. Water-as required
4. Gingelly oil-3 to 4 tbsp

For Filling

1. Channa dal-1 cup
2. Water-to cook channa dal
3. Sugar-1 cup
4. Turmeric powder- 1 pinch
5. Cardamom powder-1/4 to 1/2 tsp
6. Nutmeg powder-1 pinch
7. Water-as required

Other ingredients

1. Rice flour-1/2 cup( approx)
2. Ghee-as required

Instructions:

Wash channa dal well ,add sufficient quantity of water and cook just until done.Do not over cook the dal.( You can use a pressure cooker,if desired).Keep aside.

To prepare the dough,combine together all purpose flour and turmeric powder in a bowl.Add water and  mix well.

Knead to form a soft dough.It should be a bit sticky.Now pour the gingelly oil over the dough.Cover and keep aside for at least 30 minutes.

Drain the cooked channa dal.In a pan,add cooked channa dal ,one pinch turmeric powder and sugar.Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until it turns thick.( do not cook it for long,if you do so, the mixture will dry up)

Switch off the stove ,add cardamom powder and nutmeg powder  and mix well until combined. Allow it to cool completely.(If the mixture is not smooth ,grind it well in a food processor.)Divide this filling into 18 to 20 equal size balls.

Take a small portion of the dough(i.e just enough to make a very thin layer around the filling) and  flatten it in your palm.Place the filling  over this.

Cover the filling with the dough by gently pulling the edges towards the center. Flatten the prepared ball and dust both sides with rice flour.

Roll this to form a thin circle.( make it as thin as possible.) .Dust the surface with rice flour to prevent sticking.

Heat a tava and cook the boli for few seconds on both the sides or until the color starts to change,over a medium flame.( do not cook it for too long)Drizzle ghee on top.Carefully remove the boli and repeat with the remaining dough.

Notes:

• To get soft bolis ,the dough should be sticky and soft.Make sure that you cover the dough completely with oil.You can also use vegetable oil ,if you cant find gingelly oil.
• Do not cook the boli for too long,if you do so it will turn hard.
• The bolis can be stored in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days. Refrigerate it,if you want to keep it for a longer time.
• Adding turmeric powder is optional.I did add turmeric powder as i wanted to avoid artificial food colour.

ACHINGA PAYAR MEZHUKKUPURATTI | LONG BEANS STIR FRY

Achinga Payar Mezhukkupuratti


Easy Kerala style long beans stir fry.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 - 30 minutes
Serves: 3 to 4 people
Ingredients:

1. Achinga payar/Long beans,cut into 1.5" long pieces- 2 cups( see notes)
2. Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
3. Green chilies,cut vertically-1 or 2 nos( or to taste)
4. Onion,sliced- 3/4 to 1 cup(see notes)
5. Garlic,finely chopped-2 cloves
6. Curry leaves- few
7. Coconut pieces-1 or 2 tbsp
8. Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
9. Red chili powder-1/2 to 3/4 tsp(or to taste)
10. Curry leaves-few
11. Salt-to taste
12. Oil- as required
13. Water- as required

Instructions:

Cook achinga payar/long beans,along with 1/4 tsp turmeric powder,green chilies ,salt to taste and just enough water for about 8 to 10 minutes.Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan.Add onion,garlic ,curry leaves and coconut pieces.Saute until onion turns golden.

Reduce flame to low,add  turmeric powder and red chili powder.Saute for about a minute.

Add cooked achinga payar/long beans and stir well.Add more salt,if required.Saute for few minutes over medium flame.

Serve with rice.

Notes:

• For mature beans,slit them open and use only the seeds.
• Adjust the quantity of onion according to your taste.You can also use shallots instead of onion ,for a better flavor.

BEETROOT THORAN / BEETROOT STIR FRY

Beetroot Thoran

Ingredients

1. Beetroot-finely chopped/grated- 2 cups
2. Onion-finely chopped- 1/4 cup
3. Green chilies-cut vertically- 1 or 2 nos ( according to taste)
4. Curry leaves- few
5. Ginger-finely chopped- 1/4 tsp( see notes)
6. Grated coconut- 1/2 cup heaped(see notes)
7. Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
8. Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp
9. Salt- to taste
10. Oil- as required

Directions

• In a large mixing bowl,combine together beetroot,onion,green chilies,curry leaves,ginger,grated coconut,turmeric powder and salt to taste.
• Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds,let it splutter.Add the beetroot mixture and stir well.Bring everything to the center of the pan to make a heap.Cover and cook until done for about 5 - 6 minutes on a low flame.
• Uncover and saute for 1 - 2 minutes.Serve with rice.

NOTES

• Adjust the quantity of grated coconut according to your taste.