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Payasams to celebrate

Payasams are an integral part of any celebrations, more so for Onam

What is Onam without an onasadya, and an onasadya (feast) without payasam? No celebratory sadya is complete without the mandatory payasam. Contrary to popular belief, payasams are not all that difficult to make. Here are a few recipes to try making payasams this Onam.

Pazhapradaman

Ingredients

Ripe bananas - 6
Ghee - Half cup
Jaggery (for syrup) - 700 gm
Coconut milk - 6 cups (third extract)
Coconut milk - 3 cups (second extract)
Coconut milk - 2 cups (first extract)
Cardamom (powdered) - 4
Sago (cooked) - Half cup
Raisins and nuts - 50 gm each (fried in ghee)

Method

Peel plantains, cut into one cm pieces and add two-and-a-half cups water and boil till the pieces are well cooked. Clean the plantains, add ghee and cooked sago, mix well and fry for five minutes, stirring continuously. Pour in the jaggery syrup. Stir well till it reaches the consistency of a thick porridge. Stir in the third extract of coconut milk. Bring to boil and continue boiling till it thickens slightly. Stir occasionally. Add second extract of coconut milk. Boil till it thickens a little more, and continue stirring. Add the first extract of the coconut milk and cardamom powder and remove from heat. The consistency should be that of a thin porridge. Serve hot garnished with nuts and raisins. To make jaggery syrup

Put jaggery in a pan with three-fourth cup of water. Bring to boil. Stir well and cook till the jaggery melts and starts thickening. Remove from heat. Cool and strain.

For coconut milk

First extract: Sprinkle one-fourth cup of cold water on grated coconut. Squeeze out the milk to get the first milk.

Second extract: Add a cup of cold water to the same grated coconut and squeeze out the milk to get the second extract.

Third extract: Repeat with two cups cold water to get the third extract.

Palpayasam

Ingredients
Red rice (hand milled) - 250 gm
Milk - 4 litre
Ghee - 75 gm
Sugar - Two-and-a-half cups
Cardamom (powdered) - 4

Method

Wash rice, drain and cook with a litre of milk and two litres of water. Cook till the rice is half done. Add ghee and sugar and keep stirring till the sugar completely dissolves. Stir in the remaining milk and cook till it thickens. Stir occasionally. The consistency should be thin. Sprinkle cardamom powder and remove from heat.

Kootu Payasam

Ingredients

Raw rice - 1 kg
Jaggery - 1kg
Ghee - 100 gm
Cashew nuts, raisins - 50 gm each
Coconut (grated) - Half
Cardamom powder - 3 tsp

Method

Wash and clean rice, and cook with enough water. When the rice is cooked add jaggery and grated coconut. Add cashew nut and raisins . Stir well till the water in it is completely absorbed. Switch off the gas and sprinkle cardamom powder. Stir well and serve hot or cold.

INDU NARAYAN

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