Ada Pradaman

Ada Pradaman - Rice grits cooked in coconut milk and seasoned with nuts and dry fruits. Pradaman refers to payasam or kheer, ada pradaman is a classic dessert served during the festival of Onam. Apart from ada pradaman, chakka pradaman, kadala parippu pradaman, or simply parippu pradaman, pazha pradaman are also part of sadya menu. 

What is ada:

Adas is rice grits prepared by soaking raw rice in hot water for an hour, ground to a fine paste. The paste is then spread in the banana leaf, rolled, tied up, and boiled in the water for a few minutes. The leaves are then untied, allowed to cool, the ada is broken to pieces and used to make palada pradaman. These adas are dried and sold in packets which we get in the supermarkets.

Homemade ada:

Follow the procedure given above, steam the leaves containing ada instead of boiling them.

What is required:

Ada: Either homemade or store-bought. I used storebought ada.

Coconut milk: From a small coconut, extract 3 kinds of milk.

Nuts and spices: Cashews, dry grapes, cardamom or is used:

Sweeteners: Achu vellam or blocks of jaggery are used.

Oils and fats: Ghee is used. 

Method:

Season ghee with nuts and spices.

Extract coconut milk thrice.

Pressure cook ada using third milk.

Add jaggery.

Add second milk and finally the first milk.

Extraction of Coconut milk:

1. Break open the coconut.

2. Remove the meat by scrapping or by grating.

3. Put the coconut meat in the blender, add 1 tumbler of water. Blend at speed 3.

4. Strain the liquid with the help of a strainer. This is first milk. Do not discard the shreds.

5. Now add the coconut shreds (from the first milk) in the blender jar. Again add a tumbler of water. Grind at speed 3.

6. Again strain the liquid. This is the second milk.

7. Once again add the shreds from the above step to the blender, add 3/4 th tumbler of water and grind at speed 3 for few minutes.

8. Strain the liquid. This is the 3rd milk. Now discard the shreds.

First milk

Second milk

Third milk

Substitutions:

Use regular milk instead of coconut milk and follow the directions given below.

Cardamom essence can also be used.

Variations:

Parippu Pradaman: Use moong dal in the place of Ada. Pressure cook for 3 or 4 whistles. 

Kadala parippu Pradaman : Use chana dal in the place of Ada. Soak chana dal in water for 15 minutes and pressure cook for 5 to 6 whistles.

Vegan:

Use almond butter or cashew butter for seasoning.

Equipment used: 2 ltr pressure cooker/pan.

Recipe:

Ada pradaman.

Creamy payasam made with ada, coconut milk and seasoned with nuts.

Total time taken: less than 30 minutes.

No. of servings: 4

1 tumbler = 180 ml

1 cup = 200ml

Ingredients with measurements:

Ada - 1/2 cup

Coconut milk :

1st extract - 1 tumbler

2nd extract - 1 tumbler

3rd extract - 3/4th tumbler

Jaggery - 2 blocks(broken into pieces)

Seasoning:

Ghee - 1 tbsp

cashews - 1tbsp

Raisins - 2 tsp

Cardamom - 3

Coconut pieces - 1 tbsp(optional)

Directions:

1. Wash ada well.

2. Heat ghee in the pressure cooker, add nuts and cardamom. Add the ada as well.

3. Roast ada till slightly brown.\

4. Add 3rd extract of coconut milk, close the pan, and pressure cook for a single whistle. The store-bought adas sometimes take too much time to get cooked in an open pot, that's why I preferred to make this pradaman in the cooker.

5. Switch off the gas. Either allow the steam to escape by lifting the whistle immediately or wait for the pressure to settle down like I did.

6. Add the jaggery pieces and stir well. Allow the jaggery to melt.

7. Now add the second extract of coconut milk. Heat the pradaman in a low flame. Do not keep the flame high as the milk will curdle since the jaggery is added.

8. Make sure to break all the jaggery pieces with the ladle.

9. Add the first extract, switch off the flame.

10. Mix well and serve.