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

    There is a very happy news that I would love to share with you all. Lakshmi is 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

1. Split mung dal /  skinless split green gram /cherrupayar parippu - 3/4 cup
2. Jaggery - 1 - 1.5 cup or to taste
3. Coconut milk - 1/2 can or 1.5 - 2 cup thick coconut milk
4. Milk - 3/4 cup
5. Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
6. Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Cashew nuts - 10 - 15
8. Coconut bits (thenga kothu) -2 tbsp
9. Ghee - 1 tbsp

Method

1. Heat  ghee in a pressure cooker. Throw in some cashews and fry them until golden brown. Drain them 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 3 cups of water and pressure cook for one whistle.

2. Meanwhile melt the jaggery in 1 cup water, 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. Add 3/4 cup milk and the jaggery syrup to the pressure cooked mung dal. Mix well and bring to a boil at medium heat.

3. Add the coconut milk. Stir  well until it reaches a thick consistency at medium heat. Now add cumin powder and cardamom powder. Mix well. Finally add the fried cashews, coconut bits and 1/2 tsp ghee (optional). Serve warm or chilled.

Tips:

 

1)  You can add brown sugar instead of jaggery.

2)  Adding milk is completely optional. You can add thin coconut milk (second extraction) instead of milk in step 2.

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

4)  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.

 

 

Love

Maya