Paal Payasam / Milk Payasam/Kheer

We start New Year with a special sweet and for this Tamil New Year / Chithirai Varsha Pirapu I present you this simple payasam recipe

Ingredients

• Full Cream Milk - 2 L or 8 cups
• Sugar -  3 cups
• Basmati Rice - 1 ladle
• Saffron Strands - few pinches
• Sliced Almonds - few (garnishing)

Method
Step 1 - Cooking Rice

• Wash and soak Basmati Rice for 10 minutes.Then drain it
• Take milk in a thick bottomed kadai.Boil it
• Add washed and soaked rice
• Close the lid and cook the rice by string it occasionally

Step 2 - Condensing / Thickening

• Once the rice is cooked, boil the milk further
• It will thicken and forms cream on the top
• Add sugar and stir till it dissolves

Step 3 - Garnish

• Once the sugar dissolves crush the saffron strands and add to the milk
• Garnish with sliced almonds (optional)
• Switch off rhe stove
• Serve it chilled

Caramel Milk Payasam / Caramel Milk Payasam

This is the last day of this year and let it end sweetly.

Iam delighted to share this yummy payasam recipe.Iam sure you cannot stop with just 1 cup.You will ask for more and more

Ingredients

• Full Cream Milk - 2L / 8 cups
• Condensed Milk - 1 tin'
• Rice - 1 handful
• Sugar - 3 tablespoons

Method

• Soak rice for about 10 minutes
• Heat a heavy bottomed kadai / cooker
• Add sugar in it and let it melt.Do it in simmer flame
• Once the sugar completely melts pour 1/2 cup of water
• It changes to dark brown.This step is caramelisation

• Add milk and boil it
• Drain water from soaked rice
• Simmer the flame and carefully put the soaked rice in it
• Cook the rice till it gets soft

• Add saffron strands to the milk and mix well
• Keep stiring in medium flame
• The colour will change gradually

• Add condensed milk and mix well
• Keep stiring in medium flame
• After sometime milk will start reducing with a thick cream layer on top
• You can switch off the stove at this stage or little later so that the payasam will be little more creamy

Serve it warm or chilled

ஓட்ஸ் கடலைப் பருப்பு பாயசம் / Oats Channa Dhal Kheer

This is a healthy dessert using oats, channa dhal , jaggery, milk and saffron strands

Ingredients

• Oats - 3/4 cup
• Channa dhal - 1/2 cup
• Powdered Jaggery - 3/4 cup
• Milk - 1/2 L
• Saffron strands - little
• Grated coconut - 1/2 cup or more

Method
Step 1 - Preparation

• Dry fry oats and cool it.Powder it in a mixer

• Soak channa dhal for 1/2 hour
• Boil milk and keep it ready
• Pressure cook the soaked dhal with 1/2 cup milk and little water for 3 whistles
• Once done take it out and mash it using a potato masher

Step 2 - Oats Channa Dhal Kheer

• Take mashed channa dhal in a thick bottomed kadai.Add little milk and boil it
• Dissolve oats in remaining milk and pour it.Stir it without any lumps
• Now add soaked saffron strands and mix well
• Put jaggery and mix it well.Let it boil
• Finally add grated coconut and switch off the stove
• Serve it warm or chilled

This kheer can be taken during fasting days.It will keep you full for hours together

Palada Pradhaman Version 2 - Caramelized Version

Yet another version of Palada Pradhaman in which sugar is first caramalised and then payasam is made
You can check out this link for Palada Pradhaman using Coconut

Ingredients

• Milk - 8 cups
• Sugar - 2 cups
• Palada (readymade) - 3/4 cup
• Saffron strands - little
• Water - 1/2 cup

Method

Step 1 - Cooking Ada

• Wash ada in water and pour hot water over it.Just to immerse the contents
• Keep it closed for 1/2 hour and strain it.Wash it again in running water

Step 2 - Caramalisation of sugar

• Heat a thick bottomed kadai
• Add sugar to it and allow it to melt in simmer flame
• Once pour 1/2 cup of water and allow it to boil.You will notice change in color

Step 3 - Palada Pradhaman

• Now pour the milk and cooked ada
• Once the milk boils simmer the flame and cook for 30 - 45 minutes / till the milk reduces to half
• The colour becomes pale.Add saffron strands and stir for another 5 minutes
• Caramelized Palada Pradhaman / Payasam is ready

Serve it warm

Palada Pradhaman Version I using coconut

Now Onam is around the corner and Iam posting this special payasam recipe.I made this using store bought ada and brown sugar instead of white
Also check out for another version Caramelized Palada Pradhaman

Ingredients

• Palada - 3/4 cup
• Milk - 2L (use toned / full cream milk)
• Brown sugar - 3/4 - 1 cup
• Grated coconut - 1 cup
• Saffron strands - 3 - 4
• Ghee - 1 tablespoon
• Cashews - 4 or 5

Method

Step 1 - Getting Ada Ready

• Wash ada in water and pour hot water over it.Just to immerse the contents
• Keep it closed for 1/2 hour and strain it.Wash it again in running water

Step 2 - Palada Pradhaman / Payasam

• Heat ghee in a kadai.Roast cashews in it and also fry cooked palada in it.This prevents the ada sticking from each other
• Pour milk in it and bring it to boil
• Once it starts boiling reduce the flame, put saffron strands and stir for 45 minutes / till the milk reduces to 1/2 its quantity and you will notice change in colour - pale
• Add brown sugar and mix well
• Put grated coconut and switch off the stove
• Serve hot / chilled

Yummy Palada Pradhaman is ready.Include this in your Onam Sadhya

Muskmelon Millet Kheer

Got this idea from a TV show.Originally it was shown with water melon and raw rice.But I tried it out with muskmelon, kuthiraivali rice/millet and unrefined cane sugar / brown sugar / nattu sakkarai
Make it with "full cream milk" for "children" and "skimmed milk" for "weight watchers"

Ingredients
Part 1 - Muskmelon Puree

• Muskmelon - 1 medium sized

Scoop out the muskmelon pulp and roughly chop them into small pieces

Grind it in a mixer without adding water.It will be around 2 glasses

Part 2 - Pressure Cooker

• Kuthiraivali rice / any millet - 1/4 cup
• Muskmelon Puree - 2 glasses (made in Part 1)

Part 3 - Others

• Full cream / Skimmed milk - 3/4th glass (boiled and cooled to room temperature)
• Unrefined cane sugar / brown sugar / nattu sakkarai - 1/2 cup or more
• Cashews and Almonds - 10 each

Grind cashews and almonds together to a fine powder and keep it aside

Method
Step 1 - Pressure Cooking

• In a pressure pan / cooker take millet and pour 2 cups of puree.Do not add water
• Pressure cook for 3 whistles

Step 2 - Kheer

• Transfer the pressure cooked millet to pan (if needed) and stir in a low flame for 5 minutes

• Dissolve the brown sugar in milk and add it to the cooked millet.Now the colour will be slightly brown

• Once it starts boiling add cashew almond powder and mix well

• Just give it a boil and switch off the stove

Muskmelon Millet Kheer is ready.Serve it hot or chilled

Note

• You can replace brown sugar with white sugar
• You may use fried cashews and grapes for garnishing

Kulfi Nariyal Kheer

This is another easy dessert which is made out of ready made kulfi packet.Instead of making kulfi ice creams again and again I gave a different shot and it turned out well
So here is the recipe

Ingredients

• Milkmaid Creations Kulfi Mix - 1 packet (you can use any other brand also)
• Full Cream Milk - 1/2 L

• Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup or more

Method

• Boil milk and cool to room temperature
• Transfer to a wide bottomed pan / kadai.Add in the kulfi mix and stir it without lumps.You may use a wire whisk while doing so
• Now switch on the stove and cook in simmer flame while stirring continuously

• Once it starts boiling add the grated coconut and just mix it once.Switch off the stove

• Bring down to room temperature and then refrigerate it
• Enjoy chilled "Kulfi Nariyal Kheer" in this hot summer

பலாப் பழ பாயசம் / Chakka Pradhaman / Jackfruit Kheer

Jack fruit is an exclusive summer fruit and jackfruit kheer is popular in Kerala.During off seasons it is made out of Chakka Varatti / Jackfruit pulp
Now here is the simple recipe which I adapted it from a TV show

Ingredients
Part 1 - Pressure cooker:

• Jack fruit flesh - 20 pieces
• Moong dhal - 1/2 cup

Part 2- Coconut milk

• Coconut - 1 big sized
• Warm water - for extraction

(Alternatively you can use 200 ml of ready made coconut milk)

Part 3 - Jaggery extraction

• Jaggery - 1 cup or litlle more
• Water - to immerse

Garnishing

• Ghee - 1 table spoon
• Cashews/ Grapes - 5 pieces each
• Jack fruit - 1 flesh (optional)

Method

Step 1 - Pressure cooking

• Dry roast moong dhal till it emits a nice aroma
• Remove the seed from each and every pulp/flesh.Roughly chop it
• Take roasted moong dhal and fruit pieces together in a cooker separator.Pour water till the contents are immersed and pressure cook for 3 whistles

• Once done allow it to cool and grind it in a mixer

Step 2 - Coconut milk extraction

• Scrape out coconut add little warm water.Grind it in a mixer/ blender
• Take it out and squeeze the milk by one of the following methods:  You can put the ground coconut paste in a muslin cloth and squeeze it out (or) take it on a clean strainer and press it well with a spoon to extract the milk.Since I used a strainer I did it in batches
• Keep the milk aside.This is the first milk
• Now take the residue in a mixer and add 1 cup of warm water. Repeat the above procedure and keep the milk aside.This is the second milk and keep it separate
• If you are using ready made coconut milk.Take half of it in a cup and dilute it 1 glass of water for the second extract.The remaining undiluted portion will be the first extract

Step-3 - Jaggery extract

• Take jaggery in a wide bottomed kadai or uruli.Pour little water to immerse it
• Heat till the jaggery get dissolved.Strain the jaggery extract to remove impurities and again put it back into the kadai and boil it

Step 4 - Payasam preparation

• Add cooked moong dhal - jack fruit mixture (prepared it step 1) to the jaggery extract
• Pour second coconut milk and blend it well
• Boil till the mixture gets thickened

• Now pour the thick / first extract and boil for 2 minutes.Switch off the stove

Step 4 - Garnishing

• Heat ghee in a small kadai and roast cashews / dry grapes.Add it to the kheer
• Also top it with thin strips of jack fruit flesh

Jackfruit Kheer / Chakka Pradhaman  is ready.Serve it hot or chilled

Note
The original version shows with

• 7-8 jack fruit flesh only
• Uses thick / first coconut milk extract only and ordinary milk
• Doesn't show garnishing with jack fruit pieces

Kerala Special - Idichi Pizhinja Payasam / Sadasadayam / Chadhachadhayam

Iam fond of Onam Sadhya. This dessert is a great highlight in the same. I simply used to relish Kerala food this is one among them

It is a blend of mashed rice, jaggery extract and coconut milk garnished with fried coconut pieces and cashews.Absolutely Lip Smacking

Ingredients

• Raw rice - 4 tablespoons
• Jaggery - 1 cup
• Coconut - 1 (big sized)
• Cashews - little
• Grated coconut - few slices
• Ghee - 1 tablespoon or little more

Method
Step 1- Pressure cooking rice

• Wash and pressure cook rice.The ratio of rice: water is 1:3.Once done mash it and keep it aside

Step 2 - Coconut milk extraction

• Scrape coconut or take it out as small pieces with a help of knife.Scraping gives best results though
• Take it in a mixer.Pour 1/4 cup of warm water and grind it

• Take it out and squeeze the milk by one of the following methods:  You can put the ground coconut paste in a muslin cloth and squeeze it out (or) take it on a clean strainer and press it well with a spoon to extract the milk.Since I used a strainer I did it in batches
• Keep the milk aside.This is the first milk

• Now take the residue in a mixer and add 1 cup of warm water. Repeat the above procedure and keep the milk aside.This is the second milk and keep it separate
• Again with the remaining residue add 2 cups of warm water and repeat the steps mentioned for the first milk.This is the third milk.Keep it aside

Step-3 - Jaggery extract

• Take jaggery in a wide bottomed kadai or uruli.Pour little water to immerse it
• Heat till the jaggery get dissolved.Strain the jaggery extract to remove impurities and again put it back into the kadai and boil it

Step 4- Payasam preparation

• Add the mashed rice and the third coconut milk to the jaggery extract.Mix well and boil it for 5 minutes

• Now pour in the second coconut milk and boil till the payasam gets thickened

• Meanwhile melt ghee in a separate pan/kadai.Fry cashewnuts first.Take it out and keep it aside

• In the same pan / kadai fry coconut bits

• Add the fried cashews and coconut bits to the payasam.Pour in the first coconut milk and just boil for 3 minutes

Hot Lip Smacking Payasam is ready.Relish each and every sip of it