PAYASAM

There are several varieties of 'payasams'. One is in which rice, wheat or vermicelli is boiled with milk and sweetened with sugar. It goes by the name of 'pal payasam'. Another, is made of boiled rice or dal or wheat, to which is added jaggery and coconut milk. Both are flavoured with spices.

 PALADA PRATHAMAN


In palada prathaman pieces of flour paste (ada) are boiled in milk and sweetened with sugar. No ghee or spices are added except some cardamoms.

Ingredients :

Thick milk - 3litre
Par boiled rice (dried red rice) - 250gm
Water to mix flour
Coconut oil - 1tbs
Sugar - 2tbs
Plantain leaf pieces - as required
Sugar - 625gm
Cardamom powder (optional)

Method of Preparation :

Wash rice and drain the water. Dry grind the rice well. Add enough water to make a semi thick batter. Add 1tbs coconut oil and 1/2tbs sugar in it.

Clean and wipe the plaintain leaf pieces and pour the batter in a thin layer evenly and roll the leaf pieces tightly. Boil water in a big vessel and steam the flour batter. Take the steam batter from the leaf and cut into small pieces. Wash the pieces and strain.

Boil milk well and add sugar. Continue boiling till its colour changes to pale pink. Add the ada pieces to it. Boil again and remove from fire.

Note: 'Ada' is now available in the market. You can boil 'ada' with milk and sugar and make Palada in no time.

SEMIYA PAYASAM

Ingredients :

Vermicelli - 1 cup
Cashew nuts - handful
Raisins - handful
Water - 3/4cup
Sugar - a cup
Saffron - a pinch
Milk - a cup
Cardamom - two or three pods

Method of preparation :

Heat the ghee and fry the vermicelli till light brown. In the meanwhile, boil the water. Add the vermicelli to the boiling water and cover it. Keep stirring occasionally. Once the vermicelli becomes soft , add the sugar and continue to stir. Put the saffron in the milk and dissolve it, add this milk to the vermicelli. Powder the cardamom and add it to the mixture. Then fry the cashewnuts and almonds in ghee and add these. Mix well and boil for about two minutes. Your payasam is ready and can be served hot or cold.


 WHEAT PAYASAM

Ingredients:

Broken Wheat - 250g
Coconut - 2
Jaggery - 500g
Raisins -10g
Cashew Nuts -10g
Ghee -3tbs
Cardamom -5g
Dry ginger powder-10g
Cumin Powder-10g

Method of Preparation:

Grate the coconut. Add1/2 glass warm water to the grated coconut. Extract the first milk. Extract the second milk by adding 1 1/2 glass warm water. Again repeat the process to extract the third milk.

Fry broken wheat lightly in one teaspoon ghee. Cook the wheat well in 1 1/2 liters of water.

When it is done add the third milk and the second milk to the wheat and bring to a boil. when it thickens to a semi solid consistency, add powdered jaggery. Add the first milk, fried nut, raisins, powdered Cardamom, ginger and cumin. Mix well and remove from fire immediately. Serve hot.

PAL PAYASAM
Ingredients :
Milk - 3litres
Dried red rice - 180gm
Sugar -700gm

Method of Preparation :

Boil the milk. Add sugar and mix well. When it boils again, add the washed rice in it. Simmer in medium flame. Cook till the rice is done. Serve hot.

PARIPPU PAYASAM

Ingredients:

Parippu (Green gram dal) - 250gm
Sarkara (Jaggery) - 250gm
Coconut milk - From 2 coconuts
Ghee - 2 tbs
Cashew nuts, Raisins - As required for seasoning

Method of preparation :

Fry dal till light brown. Clean and boil the fried dal well.
Heat jaggery with some water and make a thick solution. Take milk from the coconut thrice. Keep the thick milk taken 1st, aside. Add the 2nd and 3rd milk and the jaggery solution to the boiled dal. Simmer on medium flame till thick. Fry the cashewnuts and Raisins in ghee. Add these and the 1st milk to the payasam . Mix well and remove from fire.


PRATHAMAN

There are various kinds of Prathamans such as Ada, pazham, parippu and palada prathamans.

In 'Ada prathaman', rice flour mixed with molasses is formed into a paste, cut into small pieces and boiled in water. To these, coconut milk and molasses are added in proportion. It is then flavored with ghee.

In 'pazham prathaman', plantain fruits of a special kind known as 'Nentra Pazham' are well boiled in water till the whole water is dried and the whole thing is reduced to a pulp by constant pressing. Then it is tempered with ghee. Coconut milk is added and the thing sweet in itself, is further sweetened with molasses. The kernel of a dried coconut, cut into small slices is boiled in ghee, and added to it.

The main ingredient used in 'parippu prathaman' is pulse. Many more kinds of prathamans are made of other articles as with Bengal gram, pumpkins etc.