No feast in Kerala is quite complete without combing clean the ubiquitous ada pradaman off your banana leaf. A staple dessert for any occasion, the payasam is made with ada strips made of raw rice. When times were not for quick fix, ada itself was made at home by making a dough of powdered raw rice, spreading it on banana leaves and steaming it before cutting into desired shapes. Now, of course, packaged ada is found in any South Indian store, bringing down the labour involved in making the pradaman. Jaggery syrup gives the payasam its greenish brown hue. The characteristic burp after polishing off the pradaman signals a meal enjoyed to the hilt.
Ada pradaman
Ingredients
100 gm ada (made from raw rice, also available in the market)
100 ml jaggery syrup
75 ml coconut milk
3 white cardamoms powdered
5 roasted cashew nuts
Method
Place the jaggery with a cup of water in a pan over moderate heat and stir till it dissolves completely. Bring the ada to parboil and then drain the water, and keep aside. Now add the jaggery syrup into a pan, add the ada and simmer it for a few minutes. Finally add the fresh coconut milk, cardamom and cashew nuts. Serve hot.
