Rich n Luscious Kerala Style Ada Pradhaman Payasam …!! Made with Rice Flakes, Jaggery & Coconut Milk, the Perfect Festive Delicacy!
It’s Onam next week and how better can it get to post my first payasam recipe? So here you go, my Sadya dessert for this season… Ada Pradhaman! As a Malayalee, payasam resonates festivity & tradition. Be it our festivals like Onam, Vishu or celebrations like marriages and birthdays, it is served as the dessert of happiness. Payasam is served as the dessert course in Sadya, and is also served as the prasadam in temples (I’d drool for it!). Payasam a.k.a Kheer is a term which commonly refers to authentic, syrupy, milk-based Indian desserts. Every state in India has their own version of this dessert, which varies based on spices used, type of milk, cooking method, the core ingredient like ada, vermicelli, lentils, fruits, and so on. Among them, vermicelli a.k.a semiya payasam is popular throughout the country.
Ada pradhaman is a sweet delicacy of Kerala which is made out of rice flakes simmered in a jaggery n coconut milk sauce, flavored with cardamom and dry ginger powder. The use of three versions of coconut milk with varying thickness is the highlight of this recipe and is key to the perfection of this dish. The cooking process is tedious, but is worth the effort. Traditionally, freshly squeezed coconut milk is used and tastes way better, but to ease the cook you can use store bought coconut milk or coconut milk powder and adjust its thickness with water.
There are different types of ada available in the market, some are made with rice flour and some with maida (all-purpose flour). Both works equally good for this recipe, however ada made with rice flour is my personal choice. Also, ada comes in different shapes; long strands, bite sized, thin granules, etc. You can also make your own ada (preferred), although that in itself is a time taking process. Instead you can buy store bought ones, I’ve used Nirapara brand’s thin granule sized rice ada which I personally do not prefer, but had no other choice due to the unavailability of other options in my town.
Pro tip: Payasam is delicious on its own, but also elevates it a level further when savored with banana and pappadam… Ask any Malayalee!
Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!
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Rich n Luscious Kerala Style Ada Pradhaman Payasam …!! Made with Rice Flakes, Jaggery & Coconut Milk, the Perfect Festive Delicacy!
- 200 g Ada (1 packet)
- Water (as required)
- 400 gm (15 oz appro. ) ശർക്കര / Jaggery
- 2½ cup മൂന്നാം പാൽ / thin coconut milk
- 1¾ cup രണ്ടാം പാൽ / semi-thick coconut milk
- 1 cup ഒന്നാം പാൽ / thick coconut milk
- ¼ cup + 1 tbsp ghee or more
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
- 1 tsp ചുക്ക് പൊടി / dry ginger powder (optional)
- 2 tbsp Cashews
- 2 tbsp Raisins
- 2 tbsp തേങ്ങാ കൊത്ത് / coconut bites
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To prepare ada: Wash the ada 2-3 times in water until its rinses off clear, then drain and keep aside. Fill half of a heavy bottomed pan with water and bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, add the washed ada and cook until it turns soft (should be mashable between your fingers). Drain and rinse the cooked ada under cold water (to prevent over-cooking) and keep aside.
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Prepare jaggery syrup: Add jaggery to a pan with 2 cups of water and heat on a medium flame. When the jaggery is completely melted into a lightly syrupy texture, strain it (to remove impurities and keep aside.
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Prepare coconut milk: You can use store bought coconut milk, coconut milk powder, or grated coconut, to prepare thin (മൂന്നാം പാൽ), semi-thick (രണ്ടാം പാൽ) and thick coconut milk (ഒന്നാം പാൽ). Keep aside.
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Prepare garnishes: Heat ghee in a pan and fry cashews, raisins and coconut bites separately, keep aside.
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For the payasam: Onto a heavy bottomed pan / ഉരുളി, add the melted jaggery, cooked ada, and heat on a medium flame. Allow the ada to cook in the jaggery syrup until it is reduced and thickened, constantly stirring it to prevent from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add ¼ cup ghee while stirring the ada.
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Reduce the flame to a low and add the thin coconut milk (മൂന്നാം പാൽ). Continue stirring and cook until it is reduced and thickened.
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Now add the semi-thick coconut milk (രണ്ടാം പാൽ). Continue stirring and cook until it is reduced and thickened.
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Add the thick coconut milk, stir well and cook till right before it reaches boil, then switch of the flame. Ensure not to allow the dish to boil at this stage, so keep your flame at low.
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Add the cardamom powder, dry ginger powder, fried cashews, raisins and coconut bites. Add an extra 1 tbsp ghee (or more, if you like it’s taste), and give the dish a final stir.
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If the payasam turns out to be thick, you can add boiled n cooled cow’s milk to thin it out.
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Serve hot! Banana and Pappadam are malayalee’s favorite sides which are served Ada Pradhaman.
- I have used Nirapara brand’s ada (rice based) in this recipe as I have none other available locally. These are thin rice flakes and not my personal favorite, I would recommend using bigger sized rice ada.
- You can also use maida ada (all-purpose flour based) which works fine.
- You may vary the quantity of ghee used in this recipe per your palette.