Pazha Pradhaman/Nendra Pazham Pradhaman
It is Onam time in Kerala and tomorrow is Thiruonam- the final day of celebration. Onam is a ten-day-long festival celebrated in Kerala and no festival is complete without a satisfying hearty meal. So Onam sadhya is something we look forward to every year. Sadhya is the traditional vegetarian feast served on a banana leaf and there is a colorful array of vegetarian curries, rice, and desserts. If you love desserts try this Kerala style pradhamam.Trust me on this pradhaman recipe, it is a bowl of divine fruity goodness that will surely satisfy your sweet tooth cravings.Pazha pradhaman or nendra pazham has sweet plantain as the star ingredient.I have already posted recipes like ada pradhaman and kadala pradhaman. Payasam and pradhaman are both dessert or pudding, but when it comes to making pradhaman there is a time- honored cooking technique. Payasam is easier to make but pradhaman is time- consuming. It is cooked and reduced and then cooked again- sort of double cooking which adds richness and flavor. Pazha pradhaman is cooked in coconut milk and jaggery. Cardamom, dry ginger and ghee adds an extra layer of flavor. Do not add to much of flavoring because cooked plantain itself has a rich fruity flavor. You can also add sabudana or tapioca pearls or ada/dry rice flakes, but I prefer it with only plantains. Cooked plantain is starchy and creamy and it will naturally thicken as payasam cools down. Try this recipe, you will surely love it.
Cooking time- 45 minutes
Cuisine - Indian (Kerala)
Recipe type- pudding, dessert
Serves-6
Ingredients
Plantains medium sized -4
( use really ripe soft to touch plantain)
Jaggery powdered- 1 1/2cup
Sugar- 2 tbs (or up to 1/2 cup according to sweet preference)
Ghee- 3 tbs
Thick coconut milk- 1 1/2 cup
Thin coconut milk- 4 cups
Cashew nuts and raisins- a few
Chopped coconut slices- 2 tbs
Dry ginger powder- 1/2 tsp
Roasted cumin powder- a pinch (optional)
Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp
Peel off the skin and chop the plantains into small pieces. If it is really ripe, mash it gently. (there is also another technique the plantains before making this payasam).
Grate one coconut. Put it in a blender one cup of water. Blend for a minute and the squeeze the thick coconut milk. Add 3 cups of water and squeeze again and extract the second time. Keep both thick milk and thin milk separately.
In a pan melt jaggery using one cup of water. Allow it to boil till the jaggery melts. Strain and keep aside.
To start making the payasam heat one tbs of ghee in a pan and add the plantains, fry in medium heat till it changes color and becomes soft and mushy.Add two cups of thin coconut milk cover and cook for four to five minutes till it is soft and thick. Using a ladle press and mash the plantain into a puree. You can also you a blender if you want it really smooth.Now add the melted jaggery. Simmer till it thickens. At this stage add sugar. Sugar will caramelize and give it a good color. Cook till the puree is thick and starts leaving the edges of the pan and ghee separates. At this stage add the two cups of thin coconut milk and mix well. Allow it to simmer for another 10 minutes. In between the cooking process add cardamom powder, a pinch cumin powder(optional) and ginger powder and mix well. Finally add the thick coconut minute mix well and switch off the flame. The pradhaman thickens as it cools down.
Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan and roast chopped coconut,cashew nuts and raisins, pour over the pradhaman and mix. Serve warm or chilled.
If you like desserts like payasam and pradhaman check these recipes too..
Pal payasam
Palada Pradhaman
Chakka Pradhaman
Ada Pradhaman
Neipayasam
For more Kerala Sadhya recipes check my page 100 Kerala Sadhya Recipes
Try this,
Hope you will all enjoy!
I would love to take one of those bowls and indulge in that payasam now... So well made, so tempting...
ReplyDeleteThanks Rafeeda for stopping by and for the sweet comment :)
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