JEYASHRI SURESH
Chettinad cuisine is not only famous for its spicy dishes but also for its desserts.
One special dessert from the region is the pazha payasam (pudding), which is filled with the goodness of fruits.
This dish is usually served on special occasions and at festivals.
Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes Soaking time: 15 minutes Serves: 3
Ingredients
2¼ cup milk 1/3 cup condensed milk ¼ cup pomegranate arils ¼ cup finely-chopped mango ¼ cup finely-chopped apple ¼ cup chopped grapes Few sliced almonds A pinch of saffron (optional)
To soak and grind
1 tbsp rice 1 tbsp cashew nuts 1 tbsp almonds
Method:
1) Soak 1 tbsp of rice in a bowl of water for 15 minutes. I used raw rice. You can use seeraga samba rice or basmati rice. 2) Soak the almonds and cashew nuts in hot water for 15 minutes. Then remove the skin of the almonds. 3) Grind the soaked rice and blanched cashews and almonds into a paste. Add 1-2 tbsp of milk while grinding. 4) In a heavy-bottomed pan, boil 2½ cups of milk. 5) Simmer the flame and add the ground rice and nuts paste. Mix well and continue to stir. 6) Add the condensed milk and a pinch of saffron if you want a nice yellow colour. Stir till it becomes a little thick. 7) Switch off the flame. The pudding will thicken after cooling. 8) Once cool, add the pomegranate arils, finely-chopped apple (remove the skin), finely-chopped mango and chopped grapes. Mix well and garnish with sliced almonds. Serve it chilled.
Notes:
a) You can add finely-chopped pineapple if you want. b) Mix 1 tbsp of vanilla custard powder with 2 tbsp of room temperature milk and add it to the boiling milk along with the rice and nuts paste. c) If you are adding banana, do so just before serving.
Jeyashri Suresh runs the vegetarian food website www.jeyashriskitchen.com
