Paal payasam

Ingredients



Rice – 1 handful

Milk – ½ litre (boiled milk)

Sugar – ¾ cup



For flavour



Cardamom (Elaichi) powder – 1-2 pinches

Ghee fried cashews (optional)



Method



Mix all the ingredients.



Add lots of water to the outer vessel of the pressure cooker. Use tall container for cooking.

Wait till 2 whistles are heard and simmer and cook for 45-50 minutes.



Turn off the stove and remove the container when the pressure is released.



Add Cardamom (Elaichi) powder and ghee fried cashews.



Tasty paal payasam is ready. Serve hot or cold.

Paaladai Pradhaman - பாலடை பிரதமன் - പാലടൈ പ്രഥമന്

This is my favourite dish. This is a famous dessert in Kerala. This is a significant dish in the entire festivals menu. I use store bought paaladai. For paaladai preparation method, click here.




Ingredients



Paaladai – 1 packet

Milk – 2 litres

Sugar – ½-1 kg or as per taste



Method



Boil paaladai till it is cooked. Rinse the paaladais well till the water is clear.



Boil milk in a heavy bottomed vessel. I dip a stainless spoon to avoid burning.

Keep stirring the milk to avoid brimming over.

Once the milk has started reducing, add the boiled paaladais and bring to boil.

Now add sugar and keep stirring till the sugar is mixed well.

Keep stirring till all the paaladais are cooked in the milk. The payasam would turn to a pink shade.

Bring to a thick consistency and turn the stove off.



Heavenly paaladai pradhaman or payasam is ready to serve.



You can serve piping hot or cold.

Paaladai - പാലടൈ – பாலடை

This is the base used for adai pradhaman and paaladai pradhaman.




Ingredients



Raw Rice – ½ kg

Plantain leaves – for cooking

Water – to grind



Method



Soak rice for 2-3 hours and grind to a fine paste in the consistency of dosa batter.

Cut plantain leaves to small pieces.

Apply the batter in the plantain leaves and steam for 5-8 minutes.

Remove the paaladais and chop them into pieces.



You can sun dry these paaladai pieces and store them for future use.



Paaladais are ready to use.

கத்தரிக்காய் சாதம் – Eggplant (Brinjal) Rice – वांगी बात

This is the first dish I prepared after gaining confidence in cooking.

Serves – 2

Ingredients

Eggplant (green) – ½ kg
Salt – to taste
Oil – for cooking
Juice of 1-2 lemons
Cooked rice – 1 cup

Masala

Lentil (Channa Dal, Kadalai Paruppu) – 1 tablespoon
Coconut scraping – 2 tablespoons
Coriander seeds (Dhaniya) – 1 teaspoon
Red chilles – 2-3 or as per taste

For tempering

Oil
Mustard – 1 teaspoon
Lentil (Channa Dal, Kadalai Paruppu) – 1 tablespoon
Curry leaves – 1-2 springs

Method

Cut eggplants in to ¼” cubes.
Heat oil in a pan
Add cut eggplant pieces and salt and sauté till cooked.

Dry roast the masala ingredients and grind to a course paste.

Mix the masala powder to the cooked eggplant.

Temper the cooked eggplant with the above ingredients. Add rice to the mixture and mix well. Add the lemon juice as per the taste.

Tasty eggplant rice is ready to serve.