Traditional delights for Onam

The Sadhya comes with a variety of sweet dishes

Like any other festival, Onam has its share of sweet treats that make the day a delight. Traditional payasams in different styles are prepared for the day, from lentil, pumpkin, jackfruit, wheat among other items. Jaggery is added to most of these recipes, to make it delectable and special.

Metrolife spoke to some Bengaluru Malayalis about their favourite pradhaman recipes.

Onam is a harvest festival and everything that is harvested during the season becomes a part of the ‘sadya’ (feast) during the celebrations, explains Rati Dhananjayan, homemaker and a resident of Jadheeshnagar.

“One such dish is the ‘Pumpkin pradhaman’. The first time I had it was after marriage, when my mother-in-law cooked it for Onam in Kannur. I was surprised how a vegetable was used to make a sweet treat, but the simplicity and taste of the dish made me fall in love with it instantly,” she says.

She vouches that “it is one of the easiest recipes to make yet tastes splendid”.

Mathanga Pradhaman

Ingredients

Pumpkin - 500 gm

Jaggery - 300 gm

Roasted cumin - 1/2 tsp

Cardamom - 4-5 nos

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Coconut bits - 2 tbsp

Cashew and raisins

Thin coconut milk -1 1/2 cup

Thick coconut milk - 1 cup

Salt (a small pinch)

Method

Boil and melt the jaggery with a cup of water to make a syrup.

Peel and cut the pumpkin into big chunks, add half cup water and pinch of salt, and boil until very soft.

Crush the boiled pumpkin using a ladle and add the jaggery syrup and thin coconut milk into it. Cook and reduce the flame until the mix thickens.

Add thick coconut milk, give it a boil.

Crush and add the roasted cumin and cardamom. Remove the dish from fire.

Fry the cashew, coconut bits and raisins, and add to the payasam.

(Note: Those who like the taste of dry ginger can add dry ginger powder)

Reshmi Prakash, a teacher with BGM Shishukunj School says that payasams are an important part of Onam.

“There are different varities of pradhaman made for the day, but ‘Pazham pradhaman’ is my favourite. There are several twists given to the dish, varying from consistancy to the flavours included. I stick to a traditional recipe as it brings back many pleasant memories,” she says.

Pazham Pradhaman

Ingredients

Ripe plantains - 2 (big)

Jaggery - 1/2 cup (crushed)

Semi medium thick coconut milk - 2nd extract

First extract of thick coconut milk - 1/2 cup

Cashew nuts - 2 tsp

Raisins - 2 tsp

Coconut pieces - 1 tsp

Ghee - 4 tsp

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Method

Cut the plantains into 3-4 pieces and place them in a steamer and steam till it is well cooked. You could also pressure cook them till they get soft.

Remove the outer skin and deseed of the plantain. Remove the black layer inside and mash it to a paste
using hands, to avoid lumps.

Heat ghee in a thick bottomed vessel and fry the mashed paste for five minutes.

Add the crushed jaggery and cook in medium heat until the mixture thickens.

Pour the thin diluted coconut milk and allow it to boil.

When it thickens, reduce the flame and add the first-extract thick coconut milk portion and cardamom powder, cook it for couple of minutes and remove from fire.

Heat ghee in a small pan to fry cashew, raisins and coconut pieces.

Add this to the mix.

Pazham pradhaman is ready. It can be served hot or chilled.

For Soumya Gopi, blogger and resident of Yemlur, loves different ‘payasams’, of which ‘adapradhaman’ is her favourite. “My mother used to make ‘adapradhaman’ and it was a must for the day. After I moved to Bengaluru, I started making ‘Parippu pradhaman’, as my husband who is a non-Malayali likes that,” she says.

Parippu Pradhaman

Ingredients

Split green gram (without skin)/Moong dal - 250 gm

Jaggery - 500 gms

Thin coconut milk (first extract) - 3 cups

Thin coconut milk (second extract) - 2 cups

Thick coconut milk (first extract) - 1 cup

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Dry ginger powder - 1/2 - 3/4 tsp

Cumin seeds (crushed) - 1/4 tsp (optional)

Sago - 1/4 cup (boiled)

Clarified butter/ghee - 5 tbsp and for frying nuts

Cashewnuts - 50 gm

Raisins - 50 gm

Coconut pieces - 1/4 cup

Salt - a pinch

Water - 1/2 cup

Method

Heat a flat pan and dry roast split green gram till light-medium brown in colour. Keep stirring to avoid overfrying. Dry roasting lentils will help to avoid the raw smell.

Wash the lentils and pressure cook it with enough water and a pinch of salt. Once the lentil is cooked, drain the excess water.

In a pan, melt jaggery by adding 1/4 - 1/2 cup water. Once the jaggery is melted, filter it and keep it aside.

In a heavy-bottomed vessel/Uruli, heat ghee and add the cooked lentils.

Fry for two minutes and add melted jaggery. Stir till jaggery is combined well.

Keep the flame in medium-high and add thin coconut milk (third extract). Mix well and when it starts boiling, add the second extract and boiled Sago.

Keep stirring and once the second extract reduces in quantity, add cardamom powder, dry ginger powder, and crushed cumin seeds.

Reduce the flame to low and add thick coconut milk (first extract). Combine well and switch off the flame.

In a pan, heat ghee and fry coconut pieces, cashew nuts, and raisins. Garnish the pradhaman with fried nuts and serve it hot.