Step By Step photos for Desserts - Puddings,Payasams...........

Caramel payasam

Caramel Payasam

If you make it once , it is bound to become an all – time favourite in the house !

The flavour is unbelievably good !


Milk - 1 litre ( preferably full fat )

Thin variety of rice(basmati or jeeraga samba) - ¼ cup heaped

Sugar - I cup


Soak the rice for 15 mins.

It is preferable to do this in a pressure cooker or a big pressure pan to prevent

overflowing of milk.

Heat the cooker very well on a high flame till it gets really hot.

Add 1 tbsp of sugar.




Do not stir.

It will start caramelizing.


When it becomes dark brown add ½ cup of hot water (beware, it will splash!) .

Then add the milk, & washed and strained rice & mix well.


When the milk starts boiling well close the cooker and put the weight.

At once , put the flame on sim and pressurise for 25 mtes. Do not wait for a whistle - the milk is likely to overflow.

Allow the pressure to drop.
Open & add the sugar &mix well.


Close again & put the weight.

Do not put on the flame again.

Open after atleast 15 mtes. Serve warm.
The payasam will be pale pink in colour with a very nice aroma.

 

Kalkandu Saadam - a rich heavy sweet

Kalkandu is referred to as sugar candy.

!/2 cup ghee is the minimum required for this dish, it can be more but not less.

Rice, thin variety - 1 cup

Milk - 1 cup

Water - 2 ½ cups

Kalkandu (coarsely powdered) - 2 - 2 ½ cups

Ghee - ½ cup

Halved cashews - ¼ cup

Raisins - ¼ cup

Cardamom powder - ½ tsp

Saffron - ¼ tsp (warm & powder)

Edible camphor (pachai kalpuram) - pepper size crystal

Wash & cook rice in milk & water till soft, adding 1 tbsp of ghee for a nice flavour.


Mash it lightly, adding ¼ cup ghee.

Add just enough water to kalkandu, to immerse it & boil till it becomes syrupy.

Add the mashed rice & keep on stirring till everything has blended well., without any lump.

Boil for a few mts.


Add spices & remove.

In the remaining ghee, fry cashews & raisins & add.
Serve hot.

Instead of kalkandu, sugar can be used & it is called Kesari Bath.

 

Moong Dhal ki Kheer - we call it Pasiparuppu Payasam

Moong dhal - ½ cup

Jaggery powdered - 1 cup (can be little less)

Milk - 1-1 1/2 cups

Cardamom powder - ½ tsp

Nutmeg powder - ½ tsp

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Cashews & raisins - 1 tbsp each

Lightly roast moong dhal till an aroma comes & soak in boiling water for minimum 30 mts.

Wash well & cook in 1 ½ cups of water in a pressurepan for 2 whistles.

Simulaneously add 1/2 cup of water to jaggery & heat to dissolve completely.

Strain & add to the boiled dhal in the cooker, when you cool & open it.

Boil for 5 mtes.

Add spices & remove from the stove.

Add milk (already boiled) to this & mixture & stir well for a few mts. The consistency is your choice. In the photo, note that the stove is switched off.
Heat ghee in a small pan, roast nuts & raisins well & add.
Refer to Tips on Payasam.

 

Basundi - Tastes best when made at home.

Full cream milk - 2 lts ( full cream is a must)

Sugar - 1-1½ cups

Chopped nuts - 3 tbsp

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Saffron - ¼ tsp ( warm & powder)

Pachai karpooram - 2,3 granules

In a wide-mouthed heavy vessel or non-stick pan, boil milk.

When it boils continuously & thick malai is formed, with a ladle push it towards the edges.

Boil milk & continue to collect the thick malai around the edges.

When the volume reduces to less than half, simmer the flame & add sugar.Stir it well on a low flame to dissolve the sugar.

When sugar has dissolved completely,add cardamom powder, saffron & pachai karpooram & mix to dissolve them.

After ½ an hour, when it has cooled, scrape the malai on the edges completely & mix everything well.

When serving add a little ( 2 tbsp) cold milk & sprinkle chopped nuts.

 

Cashew-Khus khus Payasam - a typical Karnataka dish!

There are many recipes for this. I tried, following a friend’s recipe.

Milk - ½ litre + 100ml

Khus khus - ¼ cup

Whole cashews - 10

Sugar - ¾ cup

Cardamom powder - ½ tsp

Edible camphor - pepper size grain.

Dry roast khus khus on a low flame till light brown.

Add cashews & swich off the flame.

In 5 mts, transfer to a small mixie jar and grind as fine as possible.

Add 2 tbsp cold milk & grind very fine.

Mix with remaining milk from 100 ml.

Boil ½ litre milk.

When it boils, add the paste, stirring well to prevent lump formation.

When it starts boiling, simmer for 10 mts for the khus khus tocook well.

Keep the flame low, add sugar, cardamom powder & edible camphor.

Switch off & keep covered for 10 mts.

Open, mix well & serve hot.

 

Moong-Cashew Kheer - let us start 2009 on a sweet note!

Yellow moong dhal - 2 tbsp

Cashew chopped - 2 tbsp

Milk - ½ litre + 1-1½ cups (depending on the consistency you like)

Sugar - ½ cup

Cardamom powder - ½ tsp

Saffron colour - a drop or two

Lightly roast on a dry kadai, moong dhal & cashew to a light brown colour.

Powder as fine as possible in a mixie.

Boil the milk.

Mix into it the powder mixed with ½ cup milk, stirring continuously.

Simmer to boil well – cook on a low flame over the simmer-rest. Only then the powder will be well-cooked.

Lower the flame & add sugar.

When the sugar dissolves, add cardamom powder & remove from flame.

Can be served hot or chilled.

 

Sweet Kichdi Dhal Pongal - I learnt this from a TV programme!

Same as Sarkarai Pongal:
First Method:
Direct pressure cooker or pressure pan method

Rice - 2/3 cup

Moong dhal - 1/3 cup - roast dry lightly

Powdered jaggery - 2 ½ cups

Cashew broken - 50 gms

Raisins - 50 gms ,

Milk - 2cups

water - 3 cups

Ghee - 3 tbs ( more is optional ),

Cardamom powder and nutmeg powder each ½ tsp

Edible camphor ( pachai karpooram) - one pinch ( optional )

Soak rice and dhal for 15 mtes, wash and strain.

In a big pressure pan ( or pressure cooker ) add water, milk, rice and dhal.

When the mixture starts boiling, close the cooker, put the weight.

Do not wait for the whistle.

At once put the gas on sim and cook for`15 mtes.

In the meanwhile in another pan take 1/2cup of water and add the

powdered jaggery.

Stir continuously till jaggery dissolves.

Strain it and keep ready.

After the pressure drops mash it lightly with a potato masher and add the jaggery water to this mixture .

Put it back on the flame and boil it along with 2 tbsp ghee.

When everything is blended well add the spices and remove.

In a small pan heat 1 tbsp ghee , lightly roast cashew and kismiss and add.


Second method:
In a vessel kept inside a pressure pan or cooker:

Add 2 cups milk + 2 cups water.

After putting the weight, wait for the first whistle, immediately lower the flame & cook for 15 mts.
The last photo is
Quinoa Sarkara Pongal, made the same way.

Kichdi dhal - 1 cup

Basmathi - ½ cup

Water - 3 cups

Sugar - 1 cup (more is optional)

Coconut milk _ 1 cup (1/2 cup grated coconut+3/4-1 cup of water)

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Mix rice & dhal, wash well & soak for 30 mts.

Drain, add 3 cups of water & transfer to a pressure pan.

Add 1 tsp ghee, close with weight when it starts vigorously boiling.

Do not wait for whistle, but simmer & cook for 10 mts.

Cool, open & lightly mash.

Add sugar & coconut milk.

Mix well, simmer for 5 mts & serve hot topped with ghee.

This goes very well with pongal kuzambu.

 

Date-Honey Pongal - delightfully different, but very tasty!!

Raw rice - 1 cup

Moong dhal - ½ cup

Milk + water - 2+4 cups

Jaggery - 1 ½ cups (boil with ½ cup water to dissolve & strain)

Dates - 8-10, chopped (depend on how sweet you want it)

Honey - 2-4 tbsp (depend on how sweet you want it)

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Dry ginger powder - 1 tsp

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

To garnish - roasted cashews

Wash & soak rice & dhal together for 30 mts.

Drain & add to boilng milk + water + 1 tbsp ghee in a pressure pan.

When the mixture starts boiling vigorously, close the cooker, keep the weight & simmer.

Cook for 10 mts – do not wait for whistle.

Cool, open & add the jaggery water.

When well blended add dates and honey.

Blend & simmer.

Add spice powders & remove. Decorate with cashews roasted in remaining ghee.

 

Basic Payasam - step by step photos

This payasam is usually made in Tamil Nadu as an offering on festival days.

This is made for weddings also – poha & wheat rawa are optional.

Rice ( preferably thin variety) - ¼ cup

Gram dhal - ¼ cup

Moong dhal - ¼ cup

Aval ( poha) - ¼ cup

Wheat rawa - ¼ cup

Jaggery - 2 ½ cups

Milk - 1 cup

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Cashew chopped - 2 tbsp

Raisins - 2 tbsp

Ghee - 4 tsp

Roast dry the first 5 ingredients, individually in a dry kadai.

Mix , wash & add with 4 cups of water in a pressure pan.

Cook for 2 whistles.

Cool & open,.

Meanwhile mix jaggery with ½ cup of water in a vessel & heat to dissolve on a low fire.

Boil for 5 mts.

Strain & add to the pressurepan contents.

Booil well for 5 mts, add cardamom powder & remove.

Add milk, after removing from fire & stir continuously for a few mts.

Heat ghee, roast cashews & raisins & add to payasam.

Poha & wheat rawa can be omitted & the payasam can be made with rice & dhals only.

Adjust the amount of water & jaggery suitably.

This is a basic payasam, which can be done for all Naivedyams.
Ingredients:
Photo 1
When they are cooked, add jaggery:
Photo 2
Boiled with jaggery well - switch off before adding milk.
Photo 3
Add milk, cardamom powder & fried cashew & raisins.
Photo 4
Ready to serve.
Photo 5

 

Simple Semiya Payasam - a basic dessert in South!

Full cream milk - ½ litre

Sago ( small transparent variety) - 1 tbsp

Broken semiya - ¼ cup

Sugar - 1/2 cups

Water - 2 cups

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Cashewnuts chopped - 1 tbsp

Raisins - 1 tbsp.

Ghee - 6 tsp

Boil milk & keep ready.

Smear 2 tsp ghee on semiya.

Heat 2 tsp ghee in a vessel & fry cashewnuts chopped & raisins & remove.

Add the remaining ghee & add sago.

When the sago looks fried, add semiya & fry on a low fire.

Add 2 cups of water & boil the mixture.

Keep the flame medium & add milk as soon as the sago & semiya are cooked soft.

Boil on a medium flame for 5 mts.

Lower the flame & add sugar.

Thereafter do not boil the mixture.

Keep on a low flame for 2,3 mts, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

Add cardamom powder & remove.

Add the cashewnuts & raisins.

On cooling to room temperature, this has a “ sauce “ consistency.

If you plan to refrigerate & serve, add less sago.

Since some varieties of semia become thick on cooling, it is safer to keep some cold milk ready to add if necessary.

Note:

If you are making large quantities, like 2,3 litres of milk, do not increase sago & semiya proportionately.

For 2 litres of milk, double the sago & semiya & additionally add 2-3 tbsp of well cooked moong dhal. This will make the payasam thicker, without making it mushy.

Another alternative to moong dhal is adding 1 tbsp vanilla flavoured custard powder, mixed with little water.

In all cases, do not boil after adding sugar.

This proprtion gives a payasam which will not thicken on keeping. You can omit sago & correspondingly increase semiya.
Photo 1
Photo 2
Photo 3
Switch off the stove before adding sugar to prevent curdling.
Photo 4
AAfter sugar is added, keep covered for 10 mts.
Photo 5