Rawa Payasam

 One of the easiest payasams that can be made for any festivals or functions or when there are guests at home is this rawa payasam which is made using Cheeroti rawa or regular rawa. 

Ingredients

Rawa - 1 cup

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Ghee -1/4 cup

Milk - 2 cups

Cashew nuts - 8 to 12

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Water -  1 1/2 cup

Method:

In a hard bottom pan add 1/2 of the given quantity of ghee and add rawa to it and fry till all the rawa is coated with ghee. Add water to the rawa and cook it till it becomes thick. Ensure that it does not form lumps. Add sugar and stir well. Mix for 5 mins. Add the milk and bring it to a boil. Remove from flame. Add cardamom powder. Broke the cashew nuts and add fry it in the remaining ghee and add it to the payasam. 

Serve hot or chilled. If it is chilled, add slightly warm milk to it as it would have become more thicker in consistency. 

Godumai Rawa Payasam / Wheat Rawa Payasam by Uma Sridharan

Contest entry posted by Uma Sridharan

Ingredients

Godhumai Ravai 1 cup

Milk 3 cups

sugarless khova 1/2 cup

Jaggery 1 cup

cardomom powder 1 tsp

cashewnuts & raisins to decorate

Method

Wash godhumai ravai, add 1 cup of milk and 2 cups of water. Pressure cook for 10 mts.

Ravai should be thoroughly cooked.

Boil remianing two cups of milk. dissolve jaggery in little water and strain. Add it to the milk. bring it to boil.

Now add cooked godhumai ravai. mix well. Cook it in sim flame.

Add sugarless khova and cardomom. Fry cashewnuts and raisins in ghee and add it to the payasam. Serve hot.

Khus Khus Kheer - Karnataka special festive recipe

Ingredients:
Khus/Khus - 1/4 cup
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Rice - 2 tsp
Jaggery - 2 cups
Milk - 2 cups
Cashew nuts - 8 to 10 nos
Ghee - 2 tbsp

Method:
Dry roast or microwave Khus Khus for about a minute. Soak rice in warm water for about half an hour. Grind khus khus, rice, grated coconut, elaichi to a fine paste. In a thick pan add the paste and add 2 cups of water and bring it to a boil.

In another pan add half cup of water and jaggery and keep stirring till the jaggery melts. Drain to remove impurities.

Add the drained jaggery syrup to the boiling paste and stir well till both mix well. Boil it for about 10 mins in medium flame. Keep stirring to ensure that it doesnot settle at the bottom. Turn off the flame and remove from the stove and then add milk to it and stir.

Heat ghee. Add the broken cashew nuts to it and fry till it becomes brown. Add it to the kheer.

This also helps in treating cold and cough.

Neivedhyams for Navarathri|Navarathri Recipes

Navarathri is the festival of dolls, festival where and when woman is honoured and worshipped. In southern states of India, especially in Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh dolls are arranged in steps. Every day morning and evening neivedhyams are done and prasadams are distributed. Kids, especially young girls dress up beautifully go to every house and sing songs that they know. Every kid be it a boy or girl is given with a packet of that day's prasadam, mostly Sundal. Fridays are special and Rice Puttu is made on this day as a special neivedhyam. Onions and Garlic are avoided on all the days of Navarathri. It is better to avoid grinding masalas and podis during these days as it is believed that Ambal lives in the house and she should not be given any discomfort. 

Mixed Rice varities as neivedhyam in the morning:

• Chakkarai Pongal
• Kalkandu Sadam
• Venn Pongal
• Tamarind Rice
• Lemon Rice
• Coconut Rice
• Sambar Sadam
• Tomato Rice 
• Mango Rice (If you get Mangoes in this season, you can make this)
• (make it without onions)
• Tomato Pongal
• Kali
• Dates Honey Pongal
• Chakkarai Pongal using Sugar
• Vaangi Bhaath
• Curd Rice

Payasams that could be offerred as Neivedhyam:

• Paal Payasam
• Gothumai Rawa Payasam
• Moong Dal Payasam
• Semiya Payasam (in microwave)
• Rawa Payasam
• Mysore Pa Payasam
• Sabudana Payasam Javvarisi Payasam
• Aval Payasam
• Badam Kheer
• Coconut and Rice Kheer
• Carrot Kheer
• Dry Fruits Kheer

Sundals for Navarathri:

• Masala Sundal
• Sweet Sundal
• Kondai Kadalai Sundal
• Channa Dal Sundal
• Moong Dal Sundal
• Kosambari
• Corn Sundal
• Thengai Mangai Pattani Sundal
• Mixed Dal Spicy Sundal
• Rajma Sundal
• Ground Nut Sundal
• White Karamani Sundal
• Kollu Sundal
• Puttu special neivedhyams on fridays

Other dishes that can be kept ready all through Navarathri to give it to guests who come in the day time, or who come quite late (after that day's neivedhyam gets over)

• Healthy Snack Bag
• Pottukadalai Podi
• Rawa Ladoo
• Maa Ladoo
• Masala Peanuts
• Carrot Halwa
• Moong Dal Halwa
• Beetroot Halwa

Thengai paal (Coconut Milk kheer)

This is one special recipe that is prepared specially during the first day of the month of Aadi which is celebrated as Aadi Pandigai. This is a special dish that is given as a speciality dish to the new son-in-law of the house. This kheer is served in a new silver tumbler.

Ingredients:
Coconuts big - 2 nos
Milk - 1 cup
Rice - 2 tbsp
Jaggery - 1 cup
Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
Pachai Karpooram (Edible camphor) - a pinch

Method:
Grate the coconut. Take care not to grate untill the end and the brown should be avoilded. Add coconut and rice and grind it together little by little and squeeze out the milk. Add the coconut again to the mixer and add 1 cup of water and grind it again. Drain the first and second milk through a muslin cloth. Add the milk to the coconut milk and heat it, when it comes to a boil reduce the flame and add the jaggery to it. Keep stirring till all the jaggery dissolves. Add cardamom powder and edible camphor to it.

Note:
The milk that is added to the coconut milk should be boiled milk. Do not boil the coconut milk for long as it will break. Instead remove from flame just when it starts bubbling.

Rice Kheer in Microwave

Ingredients:
Milk - 2 1/2 cups
Basmati Rice - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Ghee - 1/4 cup
Cashew nuts - 6 to 8 nos

Method:
Wash and soak the rice in water for 30 mins. Drain completely. Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a pan and fry the rice in medium flame till all the grains are coated with ghee.

In a microwave safe bowl add the milk and microwave it high for about 8 mins stirring it constantly in between. Add the rice and keep it in high for another 12 minutes. By this time the rice will also have got cooked and the milk would also have reduced to 3/4th. Remove and transfer it to a serving bowl. Garnish it with nuts fried in ghee.

Milk Payasam|Paal Payasam

The king of Paayasam is Paal Payasam. It is one of the favourite dish for many. And during festivals and marriages, it is prepared as one of the items in menu. 

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 1/2 cup

Milk - 2 cups

Sugar - 1 cup

cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Cashew nuts - 10 to 12 nos

Raisins - 10 to 12 nos

Ghee - 2 to 3 tbsp

Saffron strands - 1 pinch

How to make paal payasam

Fry the rice in 1 tbsp of ghee in low flame till it fries and turns golden in colour. Boil milk and once it is done reduce the flame and keep stirring till the 2 litres is reuduced to 3/4th. Add sugar, cardamom powder and saffron strands to it and keep stirring it to mix all together. Add the rice to the milk and keep cooking till the milk reduced to 1/2 and the rice gets cooked. Keep stirring to avoid rice settling at the bottom and burning out.

In a pan add remaining ghee and add cashewnuts and raisins and fry till they turn golden brown; add it to the Paal Payasam. 

Bengal gram flour Payasam|Mysore pa Kheer

This payasam if done well tastes like Mysore pak.

Ingredients:
Bengal Gram Flour - 1/4 cup
Ghee - 1/4 cup
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Cardamom Powder - 2 pinches
Cashew nuts - 8 nos
Milk - 1 1/2 cups

Method:
In a pan heat ghee. Add the bengal gram flour to the hot ghee and mix well to form a fine paste. Add 1 1/2 cups of water to the besan flour mix and bring it to boil. Add sugar, Keep stirring to avoid forming lumps. When it forms a thick lump add milk and mix well again. Add cardamom powder.

In a pan fry broken cashew nuts till golden brown and add it to the Payasam.

Aval Payasam - Ugadi Special Recipe

Ingredients:
Beaten Poha - 1/2 cup
Cream Milk - 1 litre
Sugar - 1 cup
Cardamom - 2 pinch
Cashew Nuts - 8 to 10 pieces
Badam (Almonds) - 8 pieces
Unsalted Pista - 8 pieces
Raisins - 10 to 12 nos
Ghee - 1 tbsp

Method to make Aval Payasam:
Soak Beaten Poha in water for about a minute. Drain the water and let it set for a few mins.

Boil milk and let it reduce to 3/4th. Add the poha and mix thoroughly. Add sugar and stir till it mixes well. Remove from flame and add cardamom to it.

Fry cashew nuts and raisins in ghee and add it to the payasam. Deskin Almonds and cut that and pista into small pieces and add to the payasam.

Recipe for Semiya /Rawa Kheer

Ingredients:
Semiya Rawa Powder - 1/2 cup
Milk - 2 cups
Sugar -  1 cup (or to taste)
Raisins - 2 tbsps
Cashew Nuts - 12 nos
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Water - 1 cup

Method:
In a pan add 1 tbsp of ghee and fry the semiya rawa powder. Heat water and mix the Semiya Rawa powder in it. It will get cooked in a few mins. Boil the milk and let it cool for a while. In ghee fry the cashewnuts and raisins.

Add the cooked Semiya-Rawa powder to the milk and keep it in low flame. Add the sugar to it and keep stirring till the sugar dissolves and all the three blends together. In ghee fry cashewnuts and raisins and add it to the kheer. 

Serve hot or cold. Makes a great dish for parties and also for virunthu sappadu.

Recipe for rice coconut payasam (Kheer)

Ingredients:
Rice - 1/4 cup
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Jaggery grated - 1 cup (increase upon your taste)
Milk - 2 cups
Cardomom Powder - 1 pinch
Cashew Nuts - 6 to 8 nos
Ghee - 1/4cup


Method
Soak rice for 1/2 an hour. Grind it to a fine paste along with coconut. Boil milk and keep it ready. In a hard bottom pan add 1/4 cup of water and jaggery and stir till all the jaggery dissolves. Pour it through a strainer so that any impurities will be removed. Wash the pan and pour the jaggery water to it and bring it to boil. Cook the rice coconut mixture separately. (For 1 cup of the ground mixture add 2 cups of water to cook). When cooked thoroughly add the jaggery water and cardamom powder.
Remove from fire and add milk to it.  In the remaining ghee fry the cashew nuts and add it to the kheer.

Note: This payasam(kheer) can be had without having sugar.
          Coconut can also be cut into small pieces and fried in ghee and can be added to the payasam along with cashewnut.

Carrot Kheer

A healthy and tasty drink. Make it plain or make it as a milkshake, kids will love for sure. Drink that people of all ages can have.

Ingredients:
Carrot - 2 cups grated
Milk - 4 cups
Water - 1 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cups
Cardomom - 1/2 tsp
Cashew nuts - 24 nos.

Method:
Pressure cook carrots in one cup milk and one cup water. (Just one whistle is enough). Let it cool. Grind half of the cashew nuts with the cooked carrot to a fine paste. Bring the remaining 3 cups of milk to a boil. Add the ground paste to it and cook till the entire mixture forms a thick paste. Add sugar after reducing the flame. When the sugar dissolves remove from flame, add cardomom powder and cashew nuts roasted in ghee.

Serve chilled. (If you want it as a drink, add half cup of this kheer to half cup of milk before serving).

Semiya Payasam in Microwave

Ingredients:
Milk - 1 ltr
Vermicili - 1/2 cup (Roasted)
Sugar - 1/2 cup (If you want it a bit more sweet add 2 to 4 tspns more)
Cardomom Powder - made from 4 to 6 cardomoms
Cashewnuts - broken into small pieces 8 pieces
Raisins - 10 to 12 (optional)
Ghee - 3 tbsp

Method:
In a micro bowl put 1 tbsp ghee and add raisins and cashew nuts and microwave it for 1 min. If they are not roasted golden brown, keep it for another 30 seconds. In a flat bowl, add a tbspn of ghee and semiya(vermicili) and micro high for 1 min stirring in between. Boil milk in a microwave container. Add vermicili to it and mix well. Micro high for 15 mins stirring every few mins inbetween. Remove from microwave and add sugar. Again microwave it for 5 mins. Remove from the oven and add the fried nuts and raisins, cardomom powder and another tbsp of ghee to it.

It is good to eat this either hot or cold.