Semiya Payasam /Vermicelli Kheer

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2023

Semiya Payasam /Vermicelli Kheer are a very popular traditional south Indian dessert, which is prepared at all special occasions. A preparation of milk and vermicelli sweetened with sugar. It has rich and creamy texture.. It is a very simple to make, healthy dessert. It can be made using low fat milk

Ingredients:
Vermicelli                                  : 1 cup (broken into small strips)
Whole Milk                                : 1 ½ cup

Evaporated milk                        – 1 tin

Sugar                                        : 1/2 cup or to your taste
Ghee                                          : 2 tbsp.
Raisins                                       : few
Cashew nuts                               : few
 green cardamoms                       6-7 no. (peeled and powdered)

Preparation:

• Boil the milk in a nonstick or heavy bottom sauce pan.
• Simmer and stir every now and then, till it reduces to almost half the quantity. Stir almost constantly to avoid the milk getting burnt. Simmering the milk may take a while, but it is the safest way to tastefully thicken the milk.
• Heat the ghee and fry raisins and cashews till light brown in color, remove and keep it aside for later use. 
• Roast the vermicelli in the remaining ghee till it turns to light golden color. 
• When they slightly change the color, add them to the milk, along with all the roasted dry fruits , nuts and evaporated milk .
• Cook on a low heat for about 10 minutes or until the vermicelli become soft. (Keep stirring at regular intervals so that no lumps are formed).
• Add sugar and cook for couple of minutes until all sugar is dissolved.
• Add cardamom powder and mix well and allow it to boil. Turn the heat off..
• Yummy Payasam is ready. Let this get cooled to room temperature. Refrigerate it later and eat it chilled. 

Low fat version Use 2% milk and low fat  Evaporated milk  . Reduce nuts

Tip - 

• The payasam/Kheer normally tends to get thick as it cools down or when chilled in the fridge. Pour little milk or cream and microwave them for a couple of minutes before serving.

Enjoy!!

ALMOND KHEER /HOW TO MAKE BADAM KHEER

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2022.

Kheer recipes are popular throughout India. They are a favorite among all and are available in a range of flavors. Here I will try making Almond kheer with a few nuts in it. Badam Kheer is very delicious and popular dessert in India. Almond kheer is mainly popular for its lovely aroma and flavoring. The ingredients of this kheer recipe are very simple. Milk is cooked with Badam paste, saffron and sugar.. Along with them, saffron and cardamom are also added so that this dessert gets a distinct aroma and color. Let us see how to make this Badam kheer, which is one of the most popular Indian desserts.

Ingredients:

Badam/Almonds                  ½ Cup

Basmati Rice                        2 Tablespoon

Whole Milk/Creamy Milk      3-4 Cups

Ghee                                     1 Tablespoon

Saffron                                10-15 strands

Sugar                                    ½-3/4 Cups

Crushed Cardamom seeds      1 Teaspoon

Almond nuts                           1 Tablespoon

Preparation of Kheer

• Wash and soak the almonds in  boiling water for 5 hours.
• Remove the skin grind with little milk to make a fine paste.
• Take a deep bottomed frying pan and add the ghee to it. Let it get heated over a low flame. Add the rice to the pan and fry it lightly over a low flame. Take it down before it turns reddish.
•  Now take another deep bottomed Pan over the gas oven and pour the milk into it. Keep it on a medium flame. Now keep stirring it slowly and bring it to simmer once the milk starts boiling. Drop the crushed cardamom seeds into the milk.  Add the rice and saffron and let it cook in low heat until it reduced into almost half. Keep on stirring in between.
• Now add the grounded Almond paste into the boiling milk. Stir well.
• Add sugar and Cook again until the Kheer thickens to desire consistency. Turn off the gas oven.
• Garnish with saffron strands.
• Serve hot or Cold.
• Serve this Kheer with scoop of vanilla ice-cream for Kids. 

Notes:

• Add ½ cup of grated Paneer or Khoya to make Kheer richer.
• You can use almond flour instead of Almond Paste.
• The consistency of kheer will turn thick when it chills.

  

476: KADALA PARIPPU PRADHAMAN /Chenna Dhal Payasam

Onam is a harvest festival and is the biggest celebration of state Kerala.  Kadalaparippu Pradhaman is another classic dessert or traditional Payasam of Kerala. Every Onam I try to make different kinds of Pradhaman or Payasam, Here I’m sharing my recipe for Paruppu Pradhaman. Wishing all Keralites a Happy and Prosperous Onam.

Ingredients:

Kadala Paruppu / Chenna Dhal      1 cup

Water                                          2 cups

Jaggery                                       300 gms

Thick Coconut milk                       1 cup

Thin Coconut milk                        2 cups

Powdered Cardamom                   2 Tsp.

Dry Ginger Powder                       ½ Tsp. 

Coconut slices                             1 Tbsp.

Ghee                                          3 Tbsp.

Cashew nuts                                2 Tbsp. 

Method:

• Wash the Chenna dhal thoroughly. Pressure cooks it with 2cups of water for 3 whistles on medium high heat.
• Meantime, boil the jaggery in 1 cup of water so that it melts completely.  Filter it and keep aside.
• Open the cooker lid, and check the dhal. The dhal should be well cooked but should not become a paste.
• Mash the chana dal with the back of a wooden spoon. Do not mash it to a very smooth paste.
• Heats a wide pan add the 2 tbsp. of ghee, cooked dhal and jaggery.
• Now pour the thin coconut milk, keep stirring, lower the heat to low and cook till the mixture has slightly thickened.
• Now add cardamom powder and dry ginger powder to the mixture. Combine well.
• Reduce heat and add the Thick coconut milk. Mix well and remove from the heat after a minute. DO NOT BOIL.
• Heat 1 tsp of ghee in another pan and roast the Cashew nuts and coconut, add it to the Pradhaman
• Drizzle 1 tbsp. ghee over the mixture.
• Serve in a dessert bowl.

Note:

Adjust the jaggery and coconut milk according to your preference.

My Other Pradhaman Recipes  (Click the Link)

Palada Pradhaman Payasam
Chakka Pradhaman Payasam
Ada Pradhaman Payasam

413: Palada Pradhaman/Milk Ada Pradhaman

Palada pradhaman is very popular dessert in Kerala .It is made on occasions like Vishu, Onam & marriage feasts.  This a rich and delicious dessert and it is a fitting finale to the sadhya(feast), leaving your guest with unforgettable memories of the delicious Onam sadhya.

Ingredients:

Instant ada                              1 cup

Whole milk                              2 ½  cups

Evaporated milk                       1 tin

Water                                      1 cup  

Sugar                                      1 ½ cup

Green Cardmons                       6no. (crushed)

Saffron                                     a pinch

 Ghee                                       2 tbsp.

Cashews & almonds                   a handful

Method:

                           

• Soak the adas in water for 30 minutes  Wash & drain in cold water 2-3 times until water is clean.
• Place a heavy bottom vessel and add in one cup of water and allow it to boil. Add ada into it. When its almost cooked drain the water and keep aside.
• Pour the milk , evaporated milk and saffron into the thick bottom non stick vessel, heat it.when it boils, add the sugar and continue boiling until it thickens.
• When it is well reduced or thickened, add the cooked ada pieces into it.  Cook it in very low flame.
• Finally add the crushed cardamom powder to  the milk  and  mix well. switch off the flame.
• Blend the well boiled milk and the ada together and remove from the flame only when it reaches the consistency that makes it ready to serve
•  Heat ghee and roast the cashew nuts and raisins and garnish on top.

Note:

You can make ada at home. Here is the recipe.

For making fresh ada:

Unnakkal ari (Raw rice)  - 1 cup.  Sugar   - 3 tsp. Coconut  - 1 tbsp.

• Wash the unakkalari well and either powder it or grind it.
• To this, add the sugar and the coconut oil, and mix it till it is slightly thinner than dosa batter consistency, but thick enough to be spread on a leaf. 
• Tear the banana leaf into five portions, remove the fibre, and spread the batter on each leaf by hand. Flatten and smoothen it out.
• Place a vessel of water on the flame, and when it boils well, add the flattened ada into it.
• When the ada is cooked well, switch off the flame.
• Drain the water and when it cools, gently separate each ada from the leaf.
• Cut the ada into very small pieces.
• Now ada is ready for Pradhaman. 

Note: see my other  Ada Pradhaman recipe

Gothuma Payasam (Cracked Broken Wheat Payasam)

Cracked wheat is made by cutting or crushing whole raw wheat berries (kernels) into small pieces. Because it contains wheat bran and wheat germ, cracked wheat is an excellent source of fiber.

   This is one of the  Traditional Kerala Specialty.  This is an easy and healthy sweet dish.  Easy to make and a real treat for your taste buds!. Enjoy.

Broken Wheat

Ingredients

Broken Wheat                       1 cup

Water                                  3 cup

Milk                                     1 cup

Medium coconut milk              1 cup

Thick coconut milk                 1 cup

Jaggery (powdered)                2 cup

Dry ginger powder                  1/2tsp.

Ghee                                    2tbsp.

Crushed Cardamom                 2tbsp.

Cashewnuts                           1tbsp.

Coconut pieces                       1tbsp.

Method: 

• Wash the broken wheat thoroughly for 4-5 times.
• Pressure cooks the cleaned broken wheat with 3 cups of water & 1 cup of milk.
• I cooked it on six whistles on medium heat. Allow it to cool. The wheat should be thoroughly cooked and almost mashed.
• Meanwhile melt the jaggery with ½ cup water. Keep on stirring continuously until the jaggery has melted. Strain the melted jaggery.
• Combine the melted jaggery & cooked wheat.
• Add 1 tbsp. of ghee, crushed cardamoms & dry ginger powder to this.
• Cook this mixture till it reaches a thick consistency.
• Add medium thick coconut milk to this & combine well. Let it boil.
• When it attains a thick consistency, add thick coconut milk. Give a good stir & mix well.
• Let it cook for 5 more minutes on low flame & remove from fire.
• Roast cashews & coconut pieces in ghee and add it to the Payasam.
• Serve warm. 

Note:

• Before adding melted jaggery to wheat, make sure that wheat is cooked well. 
• You can increase milk and decrease water used in this recipe for a better taste.
• Payasam tends to thicken as it cools down. If so dilute it with warm coconut milk or milk.
• You can use coconut milk powder mixed with warm water.

Chakka Pradhaman /Jackfruit Payasam

Chakka Pradhaman is a traditional Payasam (pudding) of Kerala, India. The main ingredients of Chakka Pradhaman are Jack fruit and jaggery. Chakka varatti/jack fruit jam or jack fruit pulps cooked in coconut milk and then sweetened with jaggery.

I wanted to prepare this Pradhaman with fresh jack fruit  , but I could not find any ripe jack fruit in Indian store, so I used canned jack fruit for this Payasam.

Ingredients

Canned jack fruit                  2 tins

Jaggery                               1 1/2 cups (use it according to your sweet preference)

Low fat Coconut milk tin       1 ½ tin 

Dry ginger powder(Chukku)  1 tsp.

Coconut pieces                     ¼ cup

Fresh Cardamom   powder     1 tsp.

Ghee                                  2 tbsp.

Method

• Cut the jack fruit into small pieces. Shallow fry the pieces into 1 teaspoon of ghee.
• Cook it with thin coconut milk(Mix 1/2 tin coconut milk with 1/2 cup water)  around 15 minutes or till they became soft. When the jack fruit is fully cooked, slightly mashed it using  a potato masher.
• Meanwhile make jaggery syrup, adding ¼ cup of water to the jaggery and cook it in a low flame. When the jaggery is fully melted and strains it to remove dust particles.
• Add the jaggery syrup to the cooked jack fruit and cook till all water is evaporated.
• Now add the ½ tin of coconut milk diluted with very little water and let it come to nice boil. Add dry ginger powder & cardamon powder in it.Reduce the stove heat to very low
• When it reaches thick consistency, add the thick coconut milk and mix it and bring to boil and remove from fire.
• Heat ghee in a pan and fry coconut slices till they become light brown in color and to the Pradhaman.
• Finally pour 1 tbsp. of ghee in to Pradhaman
• Chakka Pradhaman is ready to serve hot or cold anyway you like it. 

Akkara Adisal - 2

Akkara Adisal  is a minor  variation of Sakkarai Pongal. Srivillliputtur Akkara Adisal  is very  famous.  It is slightly   different from  Iyengar Akkara Adisal, since rock sugar is used instead of jaggery. My friend Mayura gave this recipe. This is really very tasty. 

Ingredients:

Raw rice –                                          1/4 cup

Whole milk                                           3 cup

Half and Half milk                                3cup

 Powdered Rock sugar (Kalkandu) -         1 ½ cup

Cashews –                                         ½ cup (keep aside 1 tbsp.for garnishing)

Almonds –                                         ½ cup (Keep aside 1 tbsp. for garnishing)

Ghee-                                                 ½ cup to ¾ cup

Green Cardamoms -                             10 nos

Cloves                                                  4 no

Nut Meg powder                                  - 1/4 tsp.

Saffron   -                                            2 pinches

Almond flakes –                                   3 tbsp. for decoration

Method:

• Soak cashews and almonds in hot water for 1 hour. Remove the almond skin and grind  it with cashews , slightly roughly. Keep aside.
• Wash the rice and fry it 1 tsp. of ghee.
• Add 1 cups of milk, 1 cup of half and half milk and a pinch of saffron, crushed
• Cardamom.  Cook it in the pressure cooker for 4 whistles. After 4 whistles reduce the stove heat, and again cook it for 5 more minutes.
• Take out from the cooker and smash the rice very well. Keep aside.
• Heat the remaining milks with a pinch of saffron in a slow cooker.  Let it boil for an hours.
•  Transfer the boiling milk to the heavy bottom vessel. Now add the smashed rice, ghee and nut paste to the boiling milk. Stir well. Let it boil for few more minutes in a slow heat.
• Now add powdered rock sugar in it. Stir well and let it cook it in lower heat.
• Fry the nuts, nutmeg powder, crushed cardamoms and crushed cloves in ghee and add it to the Adisal mixture.  Garnish with Almond flakes.
• Now the yummy Akkara Adisal  is ready.

IF YOU LIKE THIS RECIPE, YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:(Click the Link)

Akkar Adisal -1

Cherupayar Payasam/Moong dhal Payasam

Paruppu Payasam is a traditionally important dish in Kerala cuisine. Anyone who has had an Oman or Vishu sadhya will vouch that the feast is incomplete until you have savored the steaming paruppu payasam.

Ingredients

Green gram dal/ Moong dal                    – 1 cup

 Grated Jaggery                                   – 1 ½ cup

Mashed banana                                     -1 no

Very Thin Milk ( 3 rd milk)                      – 1cup

Thin coconut milk                                 – 2 cups

 Thick coconut milk                               – 1 cup

 Cardamom Powdered                            – 2 tbsp

Dry ginger Powder                                 – 1`/4 tsp

Cashew nuts                                         – 2 tbsp

Raisins                                                 -2 tbsp

 Coconut Pieces                                   – 3 tbsp

Ghee                                                  – 4 tbsp

Method

• Dry roast the dal in a nonstick pan till it turns light brown color. After cooling it well, cook the dhal along with very thin milk (3^rd milk) and water and pressure cook it for 3 whistles. Take out the dhal from the cooker and mash it well. Keep aside.
• Melt the jaggery and filter it. And keep aside.
• Heat the 2 tbsp. of ghee in the heavy bottom vessel; add the cooked dhal, mashed banana and the thin coconut milk (2^nd milk). Stir it well and now add the melted jaggery, cardamom power and Dry ginger powder.. Mix it well and cook it in the very low flame for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
• Finally add the thicken coconut milk and stir well. Switch of the flame.
• Fry the cashews and raisins in 1 tbsp. of ghee and pour it into the payasam.
•  Fry the small coconut pieces this same ghee till it turns golden color and add it to the payasam.

Nei Payasam / Aravana Payasam

This payasam is served as prasadam / Neivedyam in temples of Kerala. Nai payasam has thick consistency than the usual payasam and prepared in lots of ghee(clarified butter), the more ghee you add, the better it tastes. This nei payasam also called as Aravana Payasam, and Kadu Mathura payasam i.e. very sweet payasam.  For health reasons, I reduced ghee and jaggery amount in my recipe. If you want you can add more ghee and jaggery.

Ingredients

Raw rice                                1 cup

Water                                   2 1/2 cup

Powdered Jaggery                   – 2

Ghee/ clarified butter             - 3 tbsp.

Grated coconut                       1/2 cup

Cardamom powder                 1 tsp.

Dry ginger powder                 1/2 tsp.

Method:

•   Soak rice for at least 30 minutes. Drain and roast in a pressure cooker for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add water and pressure cook for up to2 whistles. Cook the rice such that the grains are separate, not over-cooked or sticky.
• In the meanwhile, heat a heavy bottom vessel; add the powdered jaggery and about ¼ cup of water.
• Cover it and cook on medium heat until the jaggery melts.
• When the jaggery dissolves completely, strain for impurities and pour it back into the same vessel.
• Let this jaggery syrup boil for a few minutes till the syrup starts thickening,.
• Mash the cooked rice , add the rice into the jaggery syrup , keep stirring for few minutes.
• Add about 2 tablespoon of ghee. Mix well. Continue cooking on low heat. Keep the mixture lubricated by adding the ghee at frequent intervals. Keep stirring as the water evaporates and the bubbles splatter furiously. Do not cook for very long as this will become very hard once it cools down.
• In a small frying pan, heat 1 tbsp. of ghee, add the grated coconut and fry till golden brown. Add these to the payasam. Also add the cardamom powder and dry ginger powder and mix well. 
• Delicious nei payasam is ready to eat.

Ada Pradhaman

Ada Pradhaman is known as the king of Payasam at Kerala, a prestigious addition to festivities such as Onam and marriage ceremonies. Payasam is a desert which is a must for every sadhya (Feast) in Kerala. The combination of coconut milk and jaggery is very delicious. 

In the olden days in Kerala they make these rice flakes days before the festival and let them dry in sunlight. But now a day the instant Ada packets are available at market, so it’s quite easy to make Pradhaman. On the day of the festival whole coconuts are grated and coconut milk is extracted from it. The first time it is extracted without adding any water, next time with little water and the third time again with little more water. The pure extract is called the First milk, Second milk and third milk consecutively. It is a great process which starts from morning till mid-noon. The ada Pradhaman is made in a big Uruli, which also adds up taste. One of my friend Santhanam loves this Pradhaman.

Here I used instant adas and tinned coconut milk. It helps you to make Pradhaman, fast and easier. 

Ingredients

Uruli

Ada                             250 gms

Jaggery                      500 gms

Water                         1 cup

Cardamom               10 no

Coconut pieces        ¼ cup

Dry ginger powder – ¼ tsp.

Cashews –                10no

Raisins                       5 no

Ghee                        4 tbsp.

Readymade Ada

Coconut milk            2-1/2 tin

Coconut milk

Ist milk:    Keep aside of 1 tin of coconut milk. That is called onnam paal .Mix crushed cardamom, dry ginger powder in it.

2^nd milk:   Add 1/2 cup of water in 1 tin of coconut milk. That is called 2^nd paal. Keep aside

3^rd milk:  Add 1 cup of water in the left of coconut milk. That is called 3^rd paal. Keep aside.

Method

• Soak Ada for an hour. Wash 2 to 3 times and drain  it and keep it aside.
• Cook with double the quantity water. It should be soft when you press it. It will take approx. 20- 25 minutes. When cooked, drain away water and keep aside.
• In meantime, add water to jaggery and melt it. When the jaggery is melted and filtered to eliminate any impurities in it.
• Mix the melted jaggery with the cooked ada and stir for ten minutes in low fire.Add 3 tbsp of ghee in it.
• In meantime, heat  1 tbsp of ghee in a small Kadai. Add coconut pieces and fry till light brown. Then add cashews and fry till brown and last add the raisins. Keep it aside.
• When Ada is cooked, add the 3^rd milk in it , cook it for 5 minutes in low flame. The payasam has to reach a thick consistency, add the 2^nd milk in it. Keep on simmer and let it thicken again.
• When the payasam reaches a thick consistency, add the first extract of milk. Mix well and just cook for 30 seconds and switch of the stove.
• Now add fried coconuts, cashews, kishmish in it.

Yummy tasty Ada Payasam is ready!! Enjoy

For Low-fat version:

• substitute half the quantity of low fat coconut milk with low fat ordinary milk.
• Use less ghee .

Ambalappuzha Pal Payasam

Ambalappuzha is a small town in Alappuzha district of Kerala state, south India. The town is famous for its Sri Krishna temple. The Ambalappuzha temple is one of the three important Sri Krishna temples in the state of Kerala. The payasam served in this  temple is famous among Hindu devotees.  An idol of Sri Krishna, is  "The Lord Parthasarthy idol" .  Usually I make this payasam on Krishna Jeyanthy day. 

Ingredients:

Unnakkal Rice/ Kuthari (Brown rice)              – 1/2 cup

Whole Milk -                                               1 cup

2% milk                                                  – 2 cup

Evaporated milk                                        – 1 tin

Water                                                      1/4cup

Cardamoms                                              – 6 no

Ghee                                                      – 2 tbsp

Sugar                                                        – ¾ cup

Saffron                                                      - a pinch

Fried cashews, raisins                                  – 2 bsp

Method:

• Wash and clean the rice. Fry the rice in 1 tbsp of ghee.
• Add whole milk, water and saffron into the rice. Cook it in the pressure cooker for 3 whistles
• Take out the rice from cooker and transfer into the sauce pan.
•  Mash the rice slightly. Add sugar, 1 tbsp of ghee, evaporated milk, 2 % milk and crushed cardamoms. Stir well until Sugar dissolve into milk. Reduce the heat and cook it for 30 minutes until it thickens to the consistency of payasam. (Payasam will smell like condense milk).
•  Now take it away from heat. Add fried cashews on the top.

Aval Thirukannaamuthu (Aval Payasam)

This is a traditional dish from Kerala state,India. This is one of the Neivedya prasadam for Unni Kannan. Usually I make this payasam on Krishna Jeyanthy day.  For Unni Kannan he loves Aval and Milk. This dish gives both. This payasam does not require nuts for decoration.

Ingredients:

Chemba Aval (Brown Aval)                    – ¼ cup

2% milk                                                – 1 cup

Evaporated milk                                    – 1 tin

Cardamoms                                          – 6 no

Ghee                                                     – 2 tbsp

Sugar                                                    – ¾ cup to 1 cup

Saffron                                                   - a pinch

Method: 

• Wash and clean the Aval. Fry the Aval in  1 tbsp  ghee.
• Add milk and saffron into the Aval. Cook it in the pressure cooker for 2 whistles
• Take out the Aval from cooker and transfer into the sauce pan.
•  Mash the Aval slightly. Add sugar, 1 tbsp of ghee, evaporated milk and crushed cardamoms. Stir well until Sugar dissolve into milk. Reduce the heat and cook it for 20 minutes until it thickens to the consistency of payasam.

Akkaraadisal (Rich Rice Pudding)

This is a traditional Iyengar dish. It is rich rice pudding made with milk, Jaggery and ghee.People often think that Sarkkarai Pongal is the same.  This dish is slightly different from Sarkkarai Pongal

Differences are:

Semi solid, Lot of milk and ghee used: less  nuts used, Boiling time more,   do not used the pachaikarpuram.

I have memories of eating this in Azhagarkovil temple where it is traditionally made as prasadam on “Koodarai “day. Its so yummy.

Ingredients:

Rice                             ½ cup

Whole Milk                    4 cups

Water                           1 cup

Jaggery grated              1 ¼ cup 

Crushed Elachi              5 nos

Ghee                             ¼ cup

Cashews and Raisins       1 tbsp

Saffron                           1 tsp (Soaked in warm milk)

Method:

• Wash the rice and fry it 1 tsp of ghee
• Add 2 cups of milk and 1 cup of water and cook it in the pressure cooker for 4 whistles
• After 4 whistles simmer the stove and cook for 5 minutes
• Take out from the cooker and smash the rice very well. Keep aside.
• Powder the Jaggery. Mix it in one ladle of water.
• Heat it and stir continuously till it turns into syrup state. Filter it.
• Mix this filtered Jaggery syrup with the cooked rice mixture.
• Smash the cooked rice mixture with left over milk and  ghee;cook it  lower heat.
• Fry the nuts and elachi in ghee and add it to the rice mixture.And there you go! Here’s your tasty Akkaravadisal!

Note: Akkaraadisal should be in semi- solid state.
For Low Fat : Reduce the ghee amount , Instead of half and half, use 2% milk