Skip to main content

Pazha Pradhaman/Nendra Pazham Pradhaman/Sweet Plantain Pudding

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!


Labels:

Comments

  1. Rafeeda ARSeptember 16, 2019 at 12:30 AM

    I would love to take one of those bowls and indulge in that payasam now... So well made, so tempting...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Suja ManojSeptember 17, 2019 at 11:42 AM

      Thanks Rafeeda for stopping by and for the sweet comment :)

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Spiced Pineapple Pickle- Kerala Pineapple Achar

Spiced Pineapple Pickle- Kerala Pineapple Achar Pineapple pickle is a delicious pickle, fresh and bursting with tropical flavors. Pineapple pickle has a sweet and savory combination and adds a zesty kick to any meal. Do you like sweet and spicy pickles?. I love pickled, salted, and fermented vegetables and fruits . It is easy-to-make condiments and a must-have in my kitchen. My family favorites are sweet and savory pineapple chutney and spiced pineapple in salted brine. Salted pineapples are good on sandwiches, fish tacos, or roasted meat. The best part of this pickle is that you can use it just like chutney or salted pineapple. The pickle is for those who love to take the spice level a notch higher. Pineapple pickle is a tongue-tingling sweet, tangy, mildly spiced pickle. It is delicious, and the flavor and taste are irresistible. It can be paired practically with everything, but it is best with parathas and naan. This recipe is from my mother-in-law. Sweet and sour pickles a...
41 comments
Read more

Chemmeen Theeyal - Prawns in Roasted Coconut Gravy

Prawns Theeyal Theeyal is one of the most cherished dishes of Kerala and lip-smacking delicious. It is a very traditional curry with a saucy tangy gravy with a rich dark color. It is a versatile gravy and you can use any vegetable of your choice. So now let's talk about the gravy. It is spicy and tangy coconut gravy and its wonderful aroma comes from roasted coconut. Perfectly roasted coconut brings in the rich dark color, right flavor, and consistency. The gravy is simmered in tamarind sauce. There is a beautiful balance between the nutty sweet flavor of roasted coconut and the slightly tangy taste of tamarind. Added to this is the taste of prawns. Pearl onions or small onions add richness to the curry. Now when I say pearl onions, I mean a lot! You need lots of pearl onions in this curry. Theeyal sounds elaborate cooking, but it is a delightful curry and is worth the effort. This chemmeen/prawns is a great side dish for rice or pathiri. Theeyal is part of Kerala ...
38 comments
Read more

Masala Egg Fry

Spicy masala egg fry is a quick and easy lunch box fix. It will also come handy especially if you have sudden unexpected guest at home. This can be served as an appetizer or as a side dish for rice. All you need to do is take hard boiled eggs coat them with marinade and lightly shallow fry. My mom used to make this for my lunch box along with tomato chutney and coconut rice or jeera rice and was my favorite combo. Ingredients 1)Hard boiled eggs-4 Chilly powder- 3/4 tsp( as per taste) ( or pepper powder- 1/2 tsp) Turmeric powder- 1/3 tsp Ginger garlic paste- 1/2 tsp Corn starch- 3/4 tsp salt to taste 2)Onion- 1 medium Ginger- 1 inch thick Garlic - 3 pods Garam masala- 1/2 tsp Curry leaves- a few Spring onions or coriander leaves- a little lemon juice- a few drops(optional) oil for frying Salt to taste  Cut hard boiled eggs into two. Make a paste of all those ingredients listed under one and apply on the eggs. Heat frying pan and pour one tsp of oil and la...
48 comments
Read more