Parippu Pradhaman…..it’s time to Celebrate!

 

  There is a very happy news that I would love to share with you all. Lakshmi was blessed with a baby boy on Oct 22nd. Both the mother and the little one are doing fine. Lakshmi has decided to take some time off to devote herself to her baby boy…..and so you guys would have to wait a few months to get more of the naadan recipes.

    To celebrate this very happy occasion, I am sharing with you a parippu pradhaman recipe. This recipe belongs to one of my friend, Girija. It is soo easy to make and would turn  out to be a nice dessert to a naadan meal. Long back , parippu pradhaman used to be served in sadyas for weddings but now a days its mostly semiya, ada pradhaman, pal payasam, palada, pineapple payasam etc etc. Heres the recipe:

Ingredients (Serves 5 – 6)

1. Split mung dal /  skinless split green gram /cherrupayar parippu – 3/4 cup
2. Jaggery – 1 – 1.5 cup or to taste
3. Medium-thick coconut milk – 1/2 can mixed with enough water or 1.5 – 2 cups
4. Thick coconut milk – 1/2 cup 
5. Cumin powder – 1/2 tsp
6. Chukku podi / dry ginger powder – 1/4 tsp
7. Cardamom powder – 1/2 tsp
8. Cashew nuts – 10 – 15
9. Coconut bits (thenga kothu) -2 – 3 tbsp
10. Ghee – 1 tbsp

Method

1. Heat  ghee in a pressure cooker. Throw in some cashews and fry them until golden brown. Drain  on to a paper towel. Then add the coconut bits and fry until brown. Drain on to a paper towel. Now add the split mung dal and fry for 2-3 minutes until they turn a little golden brown. Now add 2.5 cups of water and pressure cook for one whistle.

2. Meanwhile melt the jaggery in 1 cup water in an uruli or any heavy-bottomed pan, at medium heat. Stir until it reaches a light syrupy consistency. It would not take more than 10 – 15 mts. Open the pressure cooker when the pressure releases.  Mash the mung dal really well with the back of a spoon and add it to the jaggery syrup in the uruli.  Cook for a few minutes at medium heat. Add 1.5 – 2 cups of coconut milk. Mix well and cook at medium-low heat, stirring continuously, until it thickens. Do not boil the coconut milk, boiling will result in separated coconut milk.

3. Add the thick coconut milk. Cook for a minute at low heat. Switch off. Now add cumin powder, dry ginger powder and cardamom powder. Mix well. Finally add the fried cashews, coconut bits and 1/2 tsp ghee (optional). This payasam tends to thicken over time. Serve warm or cold.

Tips:

 

1)  You can add brown sugar instead of jaggery.

2) If the payasam is very thick, add hot milk to dilute.

3)  I added chaokah (canned) coconut milk. Fresh coconut milk will taste best. For fresh coconut milk – Add around 1/4 – 1/2 cup warm water to grated coconut and squeeze to extract thick coconut milk(first extraction). Now add more water to the already squeezed coconut and squeeze again to get the second extraction or thin coconut milk. Finally strain the extractions through a fine sieve. You can make this process easier using a mixer. Grind the grated coconut with little warm water in a mixer. Then use a meshed strainer and press down on the coconut for the first extraction. Repeat the same for the second extraction.

 

4) To make kadala pradhaman, replace mung dal with chana dal or kadala parippu.

 

 

Love

Maya