Semiya Payasam(Vermicelli Payasam)

Ingredients:-

1. Semiya/Vermicelli - 1 cup
2. Milk - 2 cups(2% fat)
3. Condensed milk - 4 tbsp
4. Sugar - 3/4 cup
5. Raisins,cashews - 1/4 cup
6. Ghee - 2 tsp
7. Cardamom pods -3 crushed finely

Preparation Method:-

1. Dry roast the semiya/Vermicelli till golden brown and set aside.
2. In a thick bottom pan add two two cups water and one cup milk and get it to boil.
3. Add vermicelli/Semiya to it and stir continuosly till semiya is soft and cooked well.
4. Add sugar, condensed milk and stir for a while till the semiya absorbs the sweetness
5. Add the remaining 1 cup milk and boil well for few more minutes. Set this aside
6. Heat another pan, pour ghee into it and roast the cashews and raisins. Add this to the payasam
7. Add the crushed cardamom powder anto the payasam.
8. Serve warm, Enjoy!!!!!

Note:- If you buy the roasted, opt out from roasting the vermicelli.
You can adjust the sugar according to your taste.

Dates Pradhaman/Payasam

The idea of making Dates Pradhaman or Dates Payasam came out just because I was trying to finish of the leftover dates. My kids do not like to eat dates for some reason and I end up making Dates log all the time. I thought of making something else other than logs and end up making this payasam as I knew my son would love to have payasam anytime. Now then when I made up my mind to make payasam I was still debating whether to make it with Jaggery-Coconut milk or Milk-Sugar. I'm sure every Keralite have these two ways of making payasams, that is either with coconut milk and jaggery called 'Pradhaman' or Milk and Sugar called 'Payasam'. At the end Coconut milk-Jaggery mix won the debate since Pradhaman is my hubby and kids all time favorite. Try out this awesome payasam for this Onam and I'm sure you all will love it. Enjoy!!!!

Ingredients:-

Dates de-seeded and chopped - 2 cups

Ghee - 2 tbsp + 2 tbsp

Jaggery - 1/2 cup(boil by adding 2 tbsp of water and strain of the impurities)

Coconut milk thiick - 1 cup

Coconut milk thin - 1 1/2 cup

Cashews few

Raisins few

Cardamom powder - 2 tsp

water - 1 cup

Preparation Method:-

• Soak the dates in water for 10 mins. Strain off the water to another vessel and keep aside for later use.
• Heat up a thick bottom pan with wide mouth(uruli preferably) and add 2 tsp ghee. Keep the flame in medium heat and saute the chopped dates for say 2-3 minutes.
• Add the thin coconut milk and the strained water to the dates and cook for 5-7 mins till everything boils and dates are cooked well. Keep stirring in between.
• Add the melted jaggery and stir well for 3-5 mins. Now add the thick coconut milk and cook in low-med heat for say 3-4 mins. Set aside.
• Heat up a small frying pan add 2 tbsp of ghee and roast cashews and raisins. Add them to the cooked pradhaman with the ghee.
• Spread the cardamom powder and mix everything well. Set aside to let it cool.
• Serve warm or chilled. You can garnish with few more chopped dates if desired. Enjoyy!!!!!

Note:- Since dates are really sweet you should try to adjust the use of jaggery accordingly. I have used very less amount of jaggery while making this. So before planning to make this keep this in your mind and try to adjust the sweetness accordingly

Parippu Pradaman

Ingredients: -

Moong Dal/Cherupayar Parippu – 2 cups
Jaggery syrup- 2 cup(Boiled with 2tbsp of water and strained of impurities)
Thick coconut milk -1 cup
Thin coconut milk -2 cups
Cardamom pods -3(crush with pestle in a mortar)
Salt – a pinch
Water 4 cups
Ghee - 2tsp
Coconut pieces - 2tsp
Raisins and cashews – a handful
Preparation Method:-

• Wash the moong and drain of the water completely.
• Dry roast the moong till crisp and press cook with enough water for 6-7 whistles(keep the flame to medium after the first whistle)
• One the cooker looses the pressure and becomes cool, open the cookr and stir well to mash the moong.
• Add the jaggery and stir continuosly for 4-5 minutes in medium flame so that moong absorbs sweetness from the jaggery. 
• Add the thin coconut milk and stir continuously for 5-10 mins till it start thickening.
• Add the thick coconut milk and keep stiring for few more minutes.
• Add in cardamom powder, salt and mix well. Remove from the flame
• Heat up a smaal pan, pour ghee into it add raisins, cashews and coconut pieces fry for a minute till everything turns light brown.
• Add this to the pradaman along with the ghee.
• Move to a serving dish. Serve warm.  

Note:- I love it being served after being refrigerated for sometime.