KOCHI: With Onam just around the corner, what most people look forward to is the special Onasadya which traditionally includes as many as 26 varieties of dishes served on a banana leave.
But no meal is complete without something sweet and the festive sadya has payasam as its traditional dessert condiment. However, there is no reason why you can’t give this customary preparation a slight twist.
Chef Jomon George of Calicut Notebook, Kaloor shares three unique recipes to jazz up your feast.
Mango Payasam
Ingredients
Fresh milk 20 litre
Freshly diced mango 2 kg
Mango pulp 1.5 kg
Butter 100 gm
Milk maid 1 cup
Milk cream 500 ml
Water 2 cups
Sugar as per requirement
Ghee 4 tbsp
Method
Heat milk on a low flame until it turns thick.
In separate vessel, heat water and add sugar to make the syrup. Put in mango pieces.
Take another pan and saute the mango pulp with ghee and sugar. Add milk to it.
Stir fry cashew nut in ghee for garnishing. Serve with nuts on top.
Pazham Pradhaman
Ingredients
Ripe bananas 2 nos
Crushed jaggery 1.5 cup
Coconut milk 1.5 cup
Cardamon powder 0.5 tsp
Cashew nut 10 nos
Coconut shavings 1 tbsp (optional)
Ghee 2 tbsp
Water 1.5 cup
Method
Peel the bananas and cut them into small pieces.
Cook the sliced bananas in a covered vessel by adding 1.5 cups of water on low flame for about 10 mins. Do not drain excess water.
Mash the cooked bananas using a ladle. Add crushed jaggery. Stir continuously on a medium flame until it thickens.
Then, add ghee and stir for around three minutes.
Put in the coconut milk and mix well. Sir for two minutes. Do not let it boil.
Sprinkle cardamom powder and remove from flame.
In a pan, add ghee and roast cashews and coconut shavings until they turn brown. Garnish the prepared pazham pradhaman with them. Serve hot.
Fig fruit Pradhaman
Ingredients
Dry fig 1 kg (soak in water for 15 minutes)
Dry fig 300 gm (minced) - to stir fry and add as garnish
Cashew nuts 150 gm
Ghee 100 gm
Condensed milk 500 ml
Cumin 30 gm
Dry ginger (chukku) 15 gm
Milk as needed
Jaggery as needed
Method
To prepare pradhaman
Boil milk and add condensed milk, cumin and dry ginger
To prepare payasam
Crush and mash dry figs in a bowl and add sugar. Mix well until it forms a thick syrup.
Now add crushed jaggery chunks and let it simmer.
Pour coconut milk.
Add the already prepared pradhaman to the vessel and let it boil.
Add ghee and minced dry figs. Stir for 3 minutes and turn off the stove.
Serve hot.