Rice Pudding / Kheer

Actually, my rice pudding recipe is something which was an accident-turned-yummy recipe! Once, when I overcooked rice and didn't know what to do out of the leftover, I tried this out to avoid wasting... This is a perfect sweet dish after lunch and also can be given to anyone and everyone cuz this is a darling recipe.. 

Ingredients :

Cooked white rice : 1 cup

Milk : 2 cups

Sugar : 1 cup

Fried cashews : 1/2 cup

Pista / Badam : 1/2 cup

Cardamom powder : 1/2 tspn

Sweetened condensed milk : 1/2 cup

Ghee : 3 tbspn

Salt : a pinch

Fresh / sweetened whipped cream : to garnish

• Take a bowl and pour ghee onto it. Put the cooked rice into it and saute for 2-3 minutes under medium flame.
• Take another bowl and pour milk along with sugar and boil under low flame until the milk reduces to 3/4th of its original content. Keep stirring occasionally.
• Add cardamom powder and then, a pinch of salt and mix well.
• Add the above rice mix to the bowl containing milk and cook covered under low flame to the consistency of your choice. A not too loose to thick consistency is ideal.
• Add condensed milk and stir well. Switch off the flame.
• Add fried cashews (and raisins if you wish) and stir well.
• Garnish the pudding with fresh cream and then, badam and pista over it. Rich isn't it?

- You may also make rice pudding with plain, overcooked basmati rice.

- If the rice is not overcooked, mash it and then saute in ghee.

- If the pudding is too thick, add more milk & required sugar to the consistency of your choice.

Palada Pradhaman/ Rice Flakes pudding

Hello friends! what abt palada pradhaman today? This is one of my yummy favourites..a regular during onam season, a 10 day grand festival of Kerala. It has its origin in the land of Malabar, known for yummy food! A real rich pudding or pradhaman made of flakes of cooked rice, its a really tasty n an easy dish to prepare. Try it out n make ur guests n family wonder at ur culinary skills! :)

Ingredients : 

Rice ada (small flakes) : 200g

Milk : 2 litres

Condensed milk : 3 tbspn

Sugar : 200g

Water : 300ml

Ghee : 3 tbspn

Cashewnut : a handful

Raisin : half the amount of cashews (if required)

Chukku (dried ginger) : 1 inch piece

Cardamom powder : 1/4 tspn

• Cook ada; (not the big ones; they are better for the ada pradhaman made with jaggery) along with water in a pressure cooker until u get 3-4 whistles and keep aside to cool.
• Boil milk in a bowl or cooker along with 3/4th the amount of sugar under low flame for about less than an hour and ur done when the milk reduces in content to about 1 1/2 litres and changes to a creamy pink colour.
• Take a heavy bottomed pan and pour ghee to it; once hot, fry the cashews n raisins and drain it n keep aside. 
• Add cooked ada to the ghee and mix them very well for about 5 minutes. Add milk and stir thoroughly.
• Add condensed milk and cook for about 5 minutes more. Check taste and add sugar if less. Stir occasionally until you get a slightly thick consistency. It is better that you donot wait until the content gets reduced to a much thicker consistency since it will gradually get even thicker after cooking as time passes on (which is called pathrabhagham referred in Vermicelli Pudding / Semia payasam).
• Add cardamom powder and crushed dried ginger and stir well. Add the fried cashews and raisins. Switch off the flame; keep as such for about half an hour and then serve for the ultimate taste!

Note: Ada pradhaman is often mistaken for palada pradhaman, ada pradhaman is made of jaggery and coconut milk however, palada pradhaman is made as described above. 

 
Dont worry; moi will soon come up with ada pradhaman to get rid of ur tiny confusions!

Vermicelli Pudding / Semia Payasam

Im sure almost all of us wud have had this at any point in our lives; be it birthday, festival or jus any day when u 'felt' like having Vermicelli pudding aka semia payasam. Actually, for Keralites, payasam means semia payasam. Its like THE brand name for payasams. That shows the popularity! 

Today is my mom-in-law's b'day and I made semia payasam.. Its usually her who makes payasam when its any of the family members' birthday. So, this one goes to her on behalf of all of us:)! 

Ingredients:

Vermicelli : 100g

Milk : 1 1/2 litre

Milk powder : 1 tbspn

Sweetened condensed milk : 1 tspn (to garnish)

Ghee : 50g

Sugar : 5 tbspn or as per preference

Cashew : a handful

Seedless golden raisins : 20-25 nos.

Crushed cardamom : 3 nos. 

Salt : a few drops / a pinch

We get plain n roasted vermicelli at supermarkets. If u have bought the roasted one, u just need to stir it with ghee to get them completely coated. I bought the plain one. Hence, those with plain vermicelli, follow me!

• Break the vermicelli into 1 inch pieces (better break it inside the cover itself cuz otherwise, it would be all over ur kitchen!). 
• Heat 3/4th of the ghee in a pan and fry cashews and raisins until slightly decoloured and remove them. 
• Put the vermicelli into it n roast them until golden in low flame stirring continuously n keep aside. 
• Pour the milk along with sugar into a bowl n bring to boil; under low flame. Also, add milk powder mixed in a little water, onto it. Actually, its advisable to boil it in a pressure cooker under low flame until 3 whistles.You will see that the milk has reduced in volume and has developed a slight pinkish colour and has become thicker. 
• Put the roasted vermicelli in milk and keep on stirring to avoid lumps. Now, cover n cook the vermicelli for about 15-20 minutes under low flame. Check sugar n add more if required.
• Add about 5-7 drops of salt or sprinkle a pinch so that u do not feel dizzy cuz of sweetness!
• Add the fried cashews n raisins. Add crushed cardamom n mix well. Pour the condensed milk over to garnish. Switch off the stove. 

However, I advise u to wait for about 20 minutes more before u serve payasam cuz there is something called 'paathrabhaagam' in malayalam which simply means keeping the payasam in the bowl for some more time since that would give it a much greater taste.

I would definitely like all my frnds to know one of my personal favourites; which is adding Tapioca Pearls/Chowwari/Sabodana (soaked in water and cooked) to milk (3rd step). This would make the payasam thicker n gives a different flavour. Try that too n let me know which one stole ur hearts! :)

Anyways, the semia payasam turned out well.. and I wud luv to knw how was urs! Take care!