A Sweet Melange Of

CULTURE CURRY CUisiNE www.trujetter.com A sweet melange of STAPLES Payasam, in several variants, is a creamy rice pudding with milk, jaggery and lentils, and a delicacy that no meal in South india is complete without. Words: Mini RibeiRo he word payasam, Payasam or Pradhaman Traditionally for making ada is derived from forms an integral part of the or rice flakes, a dough is made Peeyusham, Kerala feast (sadya), where it of rice flour and coconut oil, or meaning nectar or is served and relished from the soaked rice is ground to a paste. ambrosia. Many banana leaf directly, instead of This is then flattened on a banana alsoT believe it emanates from the cups. According to Chef Ramesh leaf and steamed. It is then cooled Sanskrit word, ‘payas’ or milk. Kukreti, Head Chef, Courtyard by and cut into small pieces. The ada Payasam has several variants Marriott, Kochi, “Payasam is a is then cooked with coconut milk across the southern states, albeit popular dessert and an integral and jaggery in an uruli or copper with minor variations and is part of the Sadhya. Milk, nuts, vessel, till thick. generally served on festivals and fruits and aromatic spices like Palada payasam is another weddings, as part of the meal. saffron, kewra, cardamom and common dessert here, made with Payasam is usually eaten after the tulsi are combined to prepare milk and rice flakes where the milk rasam rice course, while rice with different varieties. Payasam is is condensed slowly through fire buttermilk forms the last item of also distributed as Prasadam in and evaporation. The proportion the meal. Rice, lentils, sugar or many temples.” of rice to milk has to be perfect. jaggery and milk or coconut milk, Ada pradhaman in Kerala, is There should be enough rice for are the key ingredients. made of flat ground rice, coconut volume, but it must not overpower milk and jaggery. Pradhaman the milk. Rice in Various Forms is a more elaborate variant of Red aval or flattened rice is Rice being the staple in southern the payasam with a few more combined with milk and sugar states, is extensively used in ingredients. Ada pradhaman is to make the Aval payasam for payasams too. In fact, payasams usually prepared for the festivals Krishna Janmasthami and is with rice are the most popular. of Vishu and Onam. considered healthier. Nov-Dec 2016 41 CULTURE CURRY CUISINE www.trujetter.com a lot of rice is used and the milk is not reduced. One can make this with jaggery too and the payasam is then called Bellam Parammannam. Pal Payasam on the other hand, has very little rice and a lot of milk which is boiled till it is reduced. Lentils in Payasam Interestingly, lentils too, form the base of several payasams in South India. Moong dal and Bengal gram or chana dal are the most commonly preferred ones. Only in the Kadala Payasam, the black gram dal is used. Executive Chef, Sujan Mukherjee of Taj Coromandel Chennai, informs, “Hesarubele payasa and kadla bele payasa are jaggery and milk based payasams, made with green gram and Bengal gram.” Aboe: Parippu Payasam; Below: Rice pudding Kadalai parippu or the Bengal gram (chana dal) payasam with jaggery and coconut milk is Jaggery or molasses is PAYASAM IS semolina, is a healthy payasam, Quick Kerala’s speciality. Sometimes, the most common sweetening MOSTLY SERVED generally given to women after Bites instead of rice, sabudana or sago ingredient, although sugar too is delivery to keep them warm and is combined with the chana dal used at times. Nei paysam, or the TO TASTE AT strengthen their immunity. to make a payasam. In Tamil cloyingly sweet payasam with THE BEGINNING Executive Chef Sujan Nadu, Senaga Pappu Gasagasala copious amounts of ghee is also OF THE MEAL Mukherjee, Taj Coromandel, Payasam is made using chana dal. prepared on feasts like Vishu. AND AT THE Chennai, explains, “Payasam Split yellow moong dal, or But unlike the Ada Payasam, this is mostly served to taste at the Khas Khas or poppy cheru parippu in Kerala and payasam does not make use of END, POURED beginning of the meal and at the seeds payasam Pasi parippu in Tamil Nadu, is milk at all. DIRECTLY OVER end of the meal poured directly is usually made in one of the most popular lentils summer as the poppy Similarly, in Tamil Nadu, THE BANANA over the banana leaf or in a cup. seeds act as a coolant used in payasams. Pasi paruppu Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka too, LEAF OR IN A CUP Crushing the poppadum and and protect the body payasam, the jaggery-based payasam is prepared on special mixing the payasam with a ripe from heat. payasam, made with lentils and occasions, festivals and weddings, In Karnataka, sannakki, a banana is a delicacy being relished milk, is usually prepared as a but perhaps the varieties are not as type of tiny rice grains are used for ages in Tamil Nadu.” sweet dish for festivals in Tamil many as in Kerala. for payasam. Sarnyada Adya is a Annam Payasam or Nadu, especially during Navratri. special payasam made with rice Paramannam, is a legendary Since jaggery is used in this paste pearls or boondi, in North offering to the Gods in Andhra payasam, it is lighter than the ones Karnataka. Pradesh, prepared in almost made with rice and sugar. The Arisi Thengai Payasam every home on festivals. After Topmost: Vermicelli payasam; Above: Kheer made with lentils is a traditional payasam of Tamil God partakes of the offering, the Palm jaggery is Nadu, served in a Virundhu naivedyam (offering) becomes extremely beneficial Sappadu or a festival meal on a prasadam and is distributed. for health. Rich in banana leaf. Poondu Payasam Paravannam is a simple minerals and nutrients, it cleanses the system, Did You Know? made with garlic pods, milk, sugar, rice pudding or payasam also boosts energy and kewra is an extract distilled from the flower of the Pandanus plant. it is mainly used saffron strands and roasted from Andhra Pradesh, where more. to flavour certain dishes in the indian subcontinent, be it sweet or savoury. 42 Nov-Dec 2016 Nov-Dec 2016 43 CULTURE CURRY CUISINE Above: Gouthambu Payasam at Courtyard by Marriott, Kochi Other Variations There are different ways of coconut and apart from that, Different types of starch such making Gasagase Payasa. The bananas, apples and pineapples as vermicelli, sago or tapioca, rice and poppy seeds can be are typical choices for payasams. often replace the rice in some soaked or can be roasted and Dates too are often used to enrich payasams to lend the requisite powdered. the flavours. thickness and form the base. Goduma Ravva payasam, Mildly flavoured, According to Chef Mukherjee, made with cracked wheat and brimming with fruits and milk, Godhi hugghi made with broken jaggery, is a typical dish eaten Pazhap Payasam is made on or cracked wheat and jaggery when fasting, while Shavige festivals in the Chettinad region from the north of Karnataka and payasa or vermicelli payasam of Tamil Nadu, as is the Chettinad Gasagase payasa made with is equally popular in Karnataka Puri Paysam, where puris made poppy seeds, are two unique during festivals. with wheat flour and turmeric payasams. Fruits too are extensively dough are soaked in a semolina, used in these sweet dishes. In milk and sugar payasam. DIFFERENT TYPES OF STARCH Kerala, there are several different Most payasams can be SUCH AS VERMICELLI, SAGO OR kinds of payasam that are served chilled or warm according prepared from a wide variety of to one’s personal preference. TAPIOCA OFTEN REPLACE THE local fruits. Chakka pradhaman No matter how it is consumed, a RICE TO LEND THE REQUISITE paysam is made of jackfruit pulp, payasam can never be omitted THICKNEss & FORM THE BASE Elaneer payasam, from tender from a meal in South India. 44 Nov-Dec 2016.

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