KOCHI: Nothing can beat the sweet delicacies that payasams in Kerala are world famous for. And there is no Onam which is complete without it. So says Santhosh Thirumeni, of Thirumenis caterers, who has introduced his own line of Kappa (tapioca) payasams at the Ernakulathappan ground in Kochi this season.
“It is important that one selects the right tapioca if the payasam has to be a good one. Especially, avoid those tapiocas which have absorbed large quantities of water,” said Santhosh.
This time, he is also selling the apple payasam variety, made from fresh apples. “We buy apples in bulk and grind them in the mixie. The essence is then added to jaggery, with helpful spoons of sugar,” he said.
Paalada payasam
However, despite the city folks’ affinity to variety, the paalada still remains No. 1 in Kochi. “People like sugar-sweetened delicacies better than jaggery dishes. It is something they have been accustomed and what caterers have been providing for a long time,” said R Viswanath, of Kailasam caterers in Irumpanam, Kochi.
And unlike what most families are accustomed to, the Paalada is cooked for five-and-a-half hours at a stretch. “Many families cook paalada at their homes, but they are all made from instant cook mixes which can be prepared in half an hour. However, we prepare the ada from rice and wheat which is washed and then cut into small pieces. It is then dried in banana leaves, which is later put into the milk and cooked for five and a half hours,” said Santhosh.
However, none of the payasam sellers has stuck to the paalada despite its demand. “There is a niche group of people who always come asking for the Amballapuzha paalpayasam, which is why we are selling it this time. I still remember how there was a time when this payasam was made from the fresh milk of cows in temples, immediately after it was milked. The speciality of the paalpayasam is that it is cooked in milk alone,” said Viswanath.
Towards central and southern Kerala, the people’s preference for items with Kadala parippu and cashew nut varieties are stronger. “This is why people in Thiruvananthapuram would prefer an adapradhaman, which has a rich helping of cashew nuts and resins. Also, semiya paalpayasam has many takers,” said Vishwanath.
In many places in Kerala, jackfruit payasam is a variety many are experimenting with. Caterer H M Rafeeque says he is introducing the jaggery and sugar-coconut milk mixes for his jackfruit payasam. “The payasam is made using both koozha and varikka jackfruits,” he said.
Pazzham payasams
Krishna Iyer of Akshaya caterers, Tripunithura said they stick to selling parippu, paalada, pazham and gothambu payasams alone for Onam. “I think people equate the paalada with icecream,” says Krishna, with a laugh. For the pazham payasam, Nethran bananas are used. “We buy at least 1 and a half tonnes of 15-20 day ripe bananas, if the payasams have to taste sweet,” he said.
Nimy Sunil Kumar, a culinary expert, said that despite the many varieties that have been introduced over the decades, the latest being dates, pumpkins and carrots, nothing can beat the traditional savour of the payasams made exclusively from rice. “The payasams (made with jaggery and only rice) were offerings made to the gods in the past. Today, it is the only sweet Malayalees are famous for,” she said.