Special Cashew nut Payasam

This Cashew nut payasam ,which I first tasted  at our Alumni meet, was soooo delicious and fell in love with it instantly. So I definitely wanted to try this out and waited for a perfect occasion to come and finally made this on my son's birthday. It came out well. Am pretty much sure that this payasam which is thick and creamy in texture will soon be your  favorite too once tasted.

Special thanks to my friend Ajanta for her Recipe and timely guidance :) :)   

Ingredients :
  
Cashew nut                 250 Gm
Jaggery                       600 Gram or according to your taste.
Coconut                      scrapped 3
Ghee                           5- 6Tbsp
Cardamom powder
Cashew nuts and raisins roasted in ghee for decoration.
 
Preparation:

First Grind the cashews till fine and smooth and keep it aside. Melt the Jaggery adding sufficient water.Take out the extract from scrapped coconut. (Rich,creamy first milk should be kept aside for using in the final stage of the process)Then second, third milk also should be kept aside.

Pour ghee (4 Tbsp) in a pan and saute the ground cashews till brown on a low flame.Strain the jaggery syrup and add to it.  Mix well and cook at low heat. Add 2 tbsp ghee ,Stir continuously for about 10 – 15 minutes or until the jaggery is well-coated on the cashew paste. Now add the medium-thick coconut milk (second and third milk). Bring to a boil. keep it in a low flame n stir continuously for 30-40 mnts (This process will help to enhance the taste, texture n color of the payasam). Adjust the consistency according to your preference. Add the thick (first milk) coconut milk. Cook for a minute at low heat, Do not boil.Then switch it off.

Add the cardamom powder, Heat ghee (1-2 Tbsp) in a small pan and roast cashews and raisins and add that to prepared payasam.  Mix well. 

Delicious Kaju  payasam is ready to be served. Enjoy !!!! 

Kerala style Vellayappam

Ingredients :

 
 Raw rice  :2 cups
 Grated fresh coconut :1 1/2 cups
 Fresh  milk :1/2 cup (warm)
 Instant yeast  : 3/4 tsp  
 Sugar : 1 Tbsp
 Salt - to taste
 Cooked Rice :2 Tbsp
 Perum jeerakam (Fennel seeds) -1Tsp(optional)

Preparation : 

Soak raw rice for at least 3 hours. Put the drained rice along with sufficient water into the blender. While grinding, Take out 3 tbsp of coarse rice batter and pour it in a sauce pan along with a little water for kappi kachal process.Keep the pan on a stove and stir it continuously in low flame. Stir till it get thickens, and allow it to cool before adding to the rice batter. To the remaining batter add in grated coconut, cooked rice, sugar, and salt and grind to a smooth batter adding enough water.In the mean time, Mix  sugar and yeast  with fresh warm milk in a glass and keep aside for 10 minutes or until a froth appears on the surface well risen. Pour the same  into the prepared batter in a vessel, sprinkle fennel seeds (1or 2 crushed elaichi  can also be used for a particular aroma) too and  keep it for 3-4 hours or until the batter ferment and rise up.Once the batter is fermented, mix with a ladle and if the batter is very thick you can adjust with water.Place appa chatti over medium heat, and lightly grease it with a clean white cloth dipped in sesame oil. (this step will definitely bring in a different flavor to the appam)  Pour the batter with a ladle and immediately turn and tilt the pan in circle so that the batter spreads in perfect circle.Cover and let it cook for 2 min. Covering with a lid will help the center part to get cooked.

serve hot appams with curry :) 

With the same batter you can  make cute small appams too using unniappam chatti (Aappakkaara),

Kids will like it. During the process you will learn and reflect the meaning of patience too.

Pongala Payasam പൊങ്കാല പായസം

Recipe courtesy :  internet.
pongala payasam is the offering made to Devi.
Pongala is a Hindu religious festival. The name 'Pongala' means 'to boil over' and refers to the ritualistic offering of porridge made of rice, sweet brown molasses, coconuts, nuts and raisins. Generally women devotees participate in this ritual.
please check the link for the details:

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pongala 

 
Ingredients :

White rice ( pachari) - 1cup
Melted Jaggery syrup (concentrated)- 1 1/2 cup
Scraped coconut - 1Cup     
Cashew nuts and Raisins - A handful each
Cardamom powder - 5 ( or as needed )
chukku (dry ginger) powder, Jeera powder -to taste
Small banana(Rasakadali or palayamkodan) sliced (optional)
Ghee - 2 tablespoon


Preparation :

Wash pachari (raw rice)and cook in 6 cup water. Please add 1 tsp ghee to the boiling water.
While cooking keep stirring.
Wait for rice to be cooked ( slightly over cook). Once rice is cooked and begin to dry, add the melted jaggery syrup. Keep stirring well and mixing when you pour the jaggery. Add grated coconut too and mix well. Add in cardomom powder, chukku and jeeraka powder and mix well. Fry cashew nuts and raisins in ghee and pour it over the payasam. Wait till the pongala becomes thick . please note that it will again thicken  before serving, so it is OK if it is not completely dry when you take it off the stove. Garnish it with sliced bananas (purely optional)

This payasam has a unique taste and easy to cook :) prepare the payasam with the devotion and dedication to Amma  and stay blessed :)

Easy snack

Super easy snack from my friend Radha's kitchen.

If you have unexpected guest at home, this instant snack will save you.




Ingredients Needed :

Dosa batter    - 2cup (small)
Besan flour    - 1or2 tablespoon
green chilly    - 2 chopped
Ginger           - small piece (optional)
Curry Leaves
Asafoetida    - a pinch

Preparation :

Please add in besan flour to the left over dosa batter till you get the desired consistency (neither thick nor thin, in between). add in green chilly curry leaves and asafoetida too.

Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry it until golden brown.
Remove it from the oil and drain excess oil on a paper towel.

serve hot with a cup of evening tea :)

Note: if you want the snack in perfect shape please use appa karal. I used normal kadai only.