PAYASAM SPECIAL

No feast is served without a dessert.....BUt for poojas and neivedhyams we do puddings and payasams....

As ganesha chathurthi is on the way i wanna share few payasam recipies that i love to make for lord ganesha.....


1. SEMIYA (VERMICELLI) PAYASAM

No poojas without semiya payasam :-). Everyone loves this payasam so i m giving it first. Just make sure that the cooked vermicelli is not sticking together.

Ingredients:
semiya-100gms
milk-1/2 litre
Condensed milk-1/4 cup
Sugar as needed(200 gms or less)
nuts and raisns-2 tbsp
Ghee-2 tbsp
cardomom powder-1 tsp
little water



Method:
Dry roast semiya till its turning gold lightly. then boil with little water . When the semiya is half cooked add the milk and let it boil until semiya is cooked. Add cardomom and condenced milk and then sugar. Let it simmer for few more minutes. If you want thicker payasam simmer more or else lean one add milk. Check for sugar. Once done remove from fire. Heat ghee in a pan add nuts and raisins. Saute till they start turning colour. Add them in the payasam. Serve hot or chilled.


2.RICE PAYASAM

Ingredients:
Rice raw-1/2 cup
milk-1 liter
jaggery sugar or palm sugar as needed
cardomom powder
ghee
nuts chopped and roasted in ghee -1 tbsp

Method:
Soak and wash rice. Dry roast it slightly. I always do this for rice payasam to get nonsticky rice.
Then cook it with milk and little water. May be pressure cook it. Once cooked Add jaggery syrup(you can add sugar or palm sugar of your choice) and cardomom powder. Simmer for few minute and add the fried nuts with the ghee. Serve hot or chilled.
If you want the rice to be mashed mash it when jaggery is not added.
NOTE:
Low fat milk can be used instead of whole milk
Jaggery syrup can be made by adding little water to the grated jaggery, melt it slowly, and filter to remove stones and debris. Boil the filtered syrup till it slightly thickens. Cool this completely before adding to payasam otherwise it will curdle the payasam.
When cooled the payasam thickens, you can add more milk and on a low flame, heat up till it begins to bubble. Do not cook.
To enhance the flavour you can add condensed milk, dry fruits etc.

3.PAAL PAYASAM

Its the modified version of rice payasam. Only slight difference will be there. Here sugar is added instead of jaggery.

Ingredients:
raw rice – 3 tablespoons
milk – 5 cups or 1 litre
water – 2 cups
sugar – 1/2 cup (adjust according to your requirement)
cardamom powder – 1/2 teaspoon
ghee – 1 teaspoon
cashew nuts and raisins – few


Method:
cook rice in the milk until they are soft. Make sure the rice and milk doesnt stick in the bottom of the vessel. You can pressure cook it or you can cook it in the thick bottomed pan or vessel.
Once rice is cooked and milk is getting thicker mash the rice and add sugar and cardomom powder. Let the sugar melt and then remove it from fire.
Heat ghee in a pan and fry the nuts and raisins and when they turn colour add it to the payasam.

4. PARUPPU PAYASAM

Using pasiparuppu (split green gram) in this payasam is tasty and yet cools the body. Helps in digestion.
Ingredients:
Milk - 2 1/4 cup
Pasi paruppu/Moong dal - 1/3 cup
Jaggery - 3/4 cup
Grated coconut -1/4 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
Cashew nuts - 6



Method:
Dissolve jaggery in very less water and filter it to remove any impurities.
Heat a tsp of ghee and fry cashew nuts.
In the same pan roast pasi paruppu until you get a nice aroma of roasted dal. Immediately add water to the dal. Wash and drain that water.
Pressure cook dal with enough water, with coconut grated for 3-4 whistles.
Once the pressure subsides, open the cooker and mash the dal nicely with a potato masher.
Now the mashed dal, coconut and the fried cashew nuts are ready.
Now add the mashed up dal, cardamom powder to the jaggery and mix it well.
Keep it in low flame and let it cook until everything gets blended well.
In a thick vessel or kadai, boil milk in medium flame until it is reduced half or thickens slightly. Keep stirring now and then.
Both jaggery dal mixture and the milk is ready. When preparing any jaggery based payasam, keep in mind both the jaggery and the milk should not be hot as there are chances of the milk curdling. Either one should be at room temperature.
Either you add milk (at room temperature) to hot jaggery syrup or hot milk to jaggery syrup(at room temperature). In this way, there are hardly any chances of the milk getting curdled.
Now after adding the milk, add the fried cashew nuts, simmer for 2-3 minutes and switch off the flame. Tadaaaa...paruppu payasam is ready.
If you want thicker payasam you can use less milk. or else you can add more milk at the end.
For more taste you can fry coconut pieces in ghee and add.

5.BROKEN WHEAT PAYASAM
Ingredients:
Broken wheat-1/2 cup
MIlk- 3 to 4 cups
jaggery or sugar or palm sugar as needed
cardomom powder-1 tsp
nuts and raisins-1 tbsp
ghee
water little
condensed milk optional



Method:
Mix jaggery in a water and filter to remove any dirt.
Soak the broken wheat for an hour. Then cook it in the milk. Once the wheat is cooked soft and milk is getting thicker remove it from fire. let it cool for sometime. Add jaggery solution and mix it nicely. Then boil for few minutes stirring continuously. Add cardamom power, condensed milk if using and simmer for few minutes.
Once done add the fried nuts and raisins and garnish with it and few spoons of condenced milk and fried desiccated coconut.

6. KARUPPU ULUNDU PAYASAM

This one is similiar to sweet kanji i shared in kanji section.

Ingredients:
karuppu ulundu-100gms
water to cook
milk-300 to 500 ml
jaggery as needed
cardomom powder- 1 tsp
nuts
ghee
coconut milk optional-3 to 4 tbsp
You can add whole moon dhal also.

Method:
Cook the dhal until it is soft enough to mash. Add milk and mash nicely. Add cardomom. Add jaggery solution as mentioned in other payasam. mash it nicely. Remove from fire. Add the cocnut milk and mix when the payasam is steaming hot.fried nuts in ghee and mix. You can serve hot.
Has high amount of calcium and iron and is good for girls to strengthen their hip bones.

7. SAGO (JAVVARISI )PAYASAM
Ingredients:
sago-1cup
milk-2 cups
sugar or jaggery as needed
nuts fried in ghee-1 tbsp
cardomom powder-1tsp
water little
saffron a pinch(if using sugar)


Method:
Clean sago and cook it nicely. let it not stick together. Add milk and simmer. Add sugar or jaggery solution. Once simmered remove from fire add fried nuts.
saffron can be mixed in2 tbsp of hot milk and mix it when sugar is added. serve hot or cold

8. KADALAI PARUPPU PAYASAM

It is same as pasiparuppu payasam

9. THENGAI PAL PAYASAM
Ingredients:
Coconut-3 tbsp
thick cocnut milk-1 cup
milk-1/4 cup
jaggery-as needed
condensed milk-3 tbsp
cardomom powder-1/2 tsp
nuts and raisins
ghee
fried coconut pieces

Method:
Saute grated coconut in ghee and add milk and cook well. remove from fire and cool it.Add Jaggery solution and cardamom and condensed milk and simmer for few minutes. Add coconut milk and simmer. remove from fire. Add fried nuts, fried coconut pieces as garnishing. Good when served chilled.
After adding coconut milk dont cook for longer as it will be seperating a layer in payasam.

10. NUNGU PAYASAM
Ingredients:
Milk – 1 liter
Sugar – 3/4 cup or to taste
Nungu / Palm Fruit – around 3 cup
Condensed Milk – 3 tblspn (optional)
Cardamom Powder / Yelakai Podi – 1/2 tsp
nuts and sarai paruppu(chironji)-5tbsp

Method:
Take half of the nungu in a blender and puree. Chop the other half into small pieces.
Take milk and sugar in a sauce pan and cook till it is reduced a little and thickened.
Add in condensed milk and mix well.
Chill this fridge till cold.Now add in pureed palm fruit and chopped ones along with cardamom powder and chironji. Add fried nuts and Mix well and serve cold.

11. AVAL PAYASAM
Ingredients:
Thick Red aval-100gms
Milk-250mlml
coconut milk-2/4 cup
nuts roasted in ghee
ghee
Powdered jaggery-1/4 cup
water to cook and soak approximately 300 to 400 ml
nutmeg powder-a pinch
pachakarpooram-a pinch
cardomom powder-1/4 tsp


Method
Heat a pan with a tbsp of ghee and roast the cashews.Set aside. In the same pan, roast the aval for 3-4 mins. Aval becomes crispy and turns little brown.Allow it to cool. Powder it nicely. you can use without powdering also. Cook it in water. If more water is needed add it and cook nicely without any lumps.Now add powdered jaggery and mix well and let it cook well Add cardamom powder, pinch of pacha karpooram, pinch of nutmeg powder and remove from fire.
Let it cool and then add the milk and coconut milk. Litely simmer again and finally Add the roasted nuts with ghee.

12. FRUIT PAYASAM
Ingredients:
Apple, Peach, banana, jack fruit, mango, pineapple-chopped 1 cup
please avoid citrus fruits as it will curdle the milk.
You can take any one fruit also
Milk-2 cups
cardamom powder a pinch
nuts and fresh fruits chopped-2 tbsp
condensed milk-1/2 cup
sugar as needed
freshly chopped fruits
coconut milk

Method:
Just put the fruits in hot water for 5 minutes. remove skin and grind them nicely. Add the remaining freshly chopped fruits and add little sugar and leave aside.
Meantime boil milk and condensed milk cardamom powder until the milk is thickened. Add coconut milk and the fruit mix and simmer 2 minutes. Add the nuts and fruits as garnishing. Chill and serve.
High in vitamins and minerals.

13. CHAKKA PRADHAMAN
Ingredients
Ripe Jack fruit pieces – 12
Jaggery – 1/2 cup
Water – 1/4 cup
Thick Coconut milk – 3/4 cup
Ghee – 3 tsp
Cashewnuts – 3 tsp broken
Coconut bits – 1 tbsp
Cardamom powder – a pinch


Method:
Pressure cook jackfruit with immersing level water until soft. Cool ,drain water ,grind to a fine paste, set aside. Heat 1 tsp ghee in a pan and add coconut bits and cashews , fry till golden brown, set aside. Mix jaggery with 1/4 cup water and break the lumps formed, strain(to remove impurities)and heat it up for 5mins until it bubbles(syrup consistency need not be checked). Add the jackfruit paste and mix until is evenly coated with jaggery.
Let it become little thick, add remaining ghee then add coconut milk and give a quick stir. Dont let it boil for long after coconut milk is added as it will start to separate. So when it is about to boil switch if off and then add fried cashews, coconut bits, cardamom powder and give a stir. I reserved few cashews and coconut bits for garnishing while serving.Serve it warm or cold with nuts and coconut bits. I love it cold!
You can substitute coconut milk with dairy milk or use half and half too but coconut milk gives a unique flavour to this pradhaman.
Coconut bits gives a nice crunchness to the pradhaman.
Take care not to boil after coconut milk is added as the pradhaman will start to separate.
Add more ghee(say 1 tbsp) if you prefer a rich pradhaman.

same way you can do mango pradhaman.

14. CARROT KHEER
Ingredients:
Carrot – 2 large cut into pieces
Sugar – 3/4 cup or to taste
Condensed Milk / Milkmaid – 1/4 cup
Cardamom / yelakai – 5 crushed
Milk- 1/2 litre
Ghee – 2 tbs


Method:
Heat ghee in a pan. Add carrot and saute for 5 mins.
Add in cardamom, milk and mix well..bring this to a boil, Cover and simmer the pan for 15 mins till the carrot is cooked.
Take most of the carrot mixture in a blender and make into a puree. Transfer this to the kadai and mix well.
Add sugar and condensed milk and mix well. Simmer this for 5 mins.
Serve this chilled or hot..

15. BADHAM KHEER
Ingredients:
ThickWhole Milk – 1/2 liter + 1/2 cup
condensed milk -4 tbsp you can reduce sugar accordingly
Almonds / Badam – 15 to 20
Sugar – 1/2 cup / 100 grams or adjust
Saffron – a pinch
Cardamom Powder / Yelakai – 1 tsp


Method:
soak badam in hot water for an hour. Peel and make a paste in blender with half a cup of milk. Set this aside till use.
Take milk in a sauce pan and heat it up. let it simmer for 15 to 20 mins till it is reduced a little. Add in badam paste and sugar mix well. Cook this for 10 mins or so.Then add saffron, cardamom powder and mix well. chill it in a fridge and serve.

16. THINAI PAYASAM(foxtail millet)(source from kannama cook book)
Ingredients

½ cup thinai arisi / foxtail millet
¾ cup roughly powdered jaggery
½ teaspoon cardamom
a pinch of salt
½ cup first pressed coconut milk
½ cup second pressed coconut milk
2 teaspoon ghee
10 cashewnuts
10 raisins

Method
Dry roast the thinai / foxtail millet on a low flame till its fragrant and smells nutty. Set aside.
Cook the millets with 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker. Cook for 3 whistles on a medium flame. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure to be released naturally. Set aside.
Take a pan and add in the jaggery and a cup of water. Bring it to a boil and let the mixture boil until the jaggery is completely melted. Remove from heat and strain the jaggery mixture on a small colander to get rid of sand and any impurities. Add it to the cooked millet mixture.
Add in half a cup of second pressed coconut milk and simmer the mixture for a couple of minutes. Then add in half a cup of fresh pressed coconut milk, cardamom powder and a pinch of salt. Simmer for a minute. Do not simmer for a long time after adding the coconut milk. Remove from heat and set aside.
Heat ghee in a pan and roast cashew-nuts and raisins. When the nuts are roasted, add it to the payasam.
Serve the payasam warm.
NOTES
If using canned coconut milk, use ¾ cup canned coconut milk mixed with ¼ cup of water.

18. ILANEER PAYASAM

Ingredients:

Whole Fat Milk 4 Cups* or 1 litre
Coconut Milk 1 Cup
Tender Coconut Pulp 1 Cup
Tender Coconut Pieces 1/4 Cup
Sugar 1 Cup
Cardamom Powder 1/4 teaspoon
Nutmeg Powder 1/4 teaspoon
Ghee 1 teaspoon
Cashews 10

Method
crape the tender portion of the coconut. Reserve 1/4th cup of the tender coconut .Grind the rest in a blender and add tender coconut water till coarse paste.
Boil a litre of milk. Whole fat milk gives a really thickness to the payasam. Let it shrink to 1/4 portion. stirr nicely to avoid sticking in the bottom. Add sugar cardamom powder and nutmeg powder. stir nicely and boil in medium flame till all the sugar is dissolved. remove from fire and let it cool. Then add coconut milk to it. Add tender coconut pulp, chopped coconut pieces and mix nicely. Add little bit of ghee(1tbsp) and roasted nuts and mix well. Chill and serve.

General Nutritional information of payasams

Generally the desserts has high calories even though they provide carbohydrates and proteins. So watch out and enjoy your dessert.