Ada Pradhaman/Payasam

Today is a day of celebration. Like all proud daughters around the world I too am celebrating  this day... Fathers Day. I know that all love and respect their fathers and we do not need a special day or occasion to think about our loving and caring parents. But still I love to celebrate life, cherish each wonderful moments, pick up all the small happiness that comes in my way and smile..hurray! here is a hand full...that is what dad taught me or to say that is what I learned from him.

I would love to celebrate this day for two important persons in my life..My Dear Dad and My Dear Husband. My husband like my dad is a wonderful and caring father of our three year old son.The father and son make a great combo and are enjoying life to the fullest...sports, games,dancing and singing it is all joy and laughter around and I cannot help remembering how me and sister enjoyed with our dad when we were young.I know that years later my son would have the same feelings, love and gratitude that I and sister have for our dad.

I would like to celebrate by making Ada pradhaman which is Dad's favorite. He loves it very much but since it involves more labor like grating and squeezing of  coconut to extract milk etc, he does not ask mom to make ada pradhaman. But mom being a loving and caring life partner never loses an opportunity to make this lovely payasam:) and we daughter also used to join in to help:)

Ada Pradhaman is part of the traditional Kerala sadhya which is a banquet of food served on important occassions consisting of rice and an array of curries, pickles and ending with two to three payasams or desserts. Unlike earlier times making this pradhaman is easier now-a-days as we get ada in packets in grocery store. There are two types of ada -maida and rice. I always prefer rice adas. I have used the technique that mom uses to make this pradhaman. She usually roasts the ada in ghee and then cook it till soft to make this dessert. Ada has a tendency to stick to each other and getting mashed up and  by roasting you can retain its shape and they will not stick together.

Ingredients
Ada - 200grms / 7 oz
Jaggery- 350 grms
Coconut milk( first )- 1 cup
Coconut milk ( second)- 2 cups
Coconut milk ( Third)- 4  cups
Cashews- 10
Raisins - 10- 15
Cardamon- 1/2 tsp
Dry Ginger powder-a pinch
Ghee- 2+ 1 tsp
Coconut pieces - 3 tsp

Wash and drain ada and let it sit in a stainer. Extract first, second and third milk  of coconut and keep it aside. Powder jaggery and bring it to boil with one cup of water and strain out to remove impurities.
Heat a heavy bottomed cooking vessel and pour in one tsp of ghee. Add ada and in a low flame roast till it changes color to golden and ada is well coated with ghee. Switch off the flame and let it cool down a bit. ( there is also another way of making this and it is to put ada in boiling water cook and  drain and wash with cold water till it is ready)
Now add the third extract of coconut milk and cook the ada till it is soft and keep it aside. Make sure that the ada is properly cooked before adding it to  jaggery. 
Pour  jaggery syrup in a heavy bottom pan and allow it to attain a two thread consistency and slowly stir in the second coconut extract and cooked ada along with cardamon powder and dry ginger powder. Stir in occasionally till it attains a desired consistency. Finally add the first extract of coconut and lower the flame and allow it to simmer. Switch off the flame after a minute or two.
Roast cashews, raisins and coconut pieces in ghee till golden brown and garnish. Serve warm or chilled as you desire.

Try this...


Hope you will all enjoy..




This recipe is going to Jay's wonderful event "I Love My Dad"