Pazham Pradhaman / Kerala Banana Dessert - Onam Sadhya Vibhavangal 20

Onam Sadhya is not complete without a dessert. Ada Pradhaman is the king of payasams. There are other varieties of payasams like Parippu Payasam, Ari Payasam, Semiya Payasam. I just love payasams with jaggery. Today I would like to share with you the Nendra Pazham Payasam. 

Nendra Pazham is the Kerala special banana that are widely used to make snacks like chips, fritters and halwa too. In this pazham pradhaman, the bananas are cooked and then ground into a fine paste. It is then fried in ghee and then cooked in jaggery and coconut milk. It is then seasoned with coconut pieces and cashewnuts. 

Hope you have enjoyed my series on Onam recipes. 

Happy Onam once again! Enjoy.. 

Pazham Pradhaman / Kerala Banana Dessert 
(Printable Recipe)

INGREDIENTS

Nendra Pazham - 3 (approx 700g)

Jaggery- 200 g

Coconut  - 1 medium

   Coconut Milk First Extract - 1/2 cup

   Coconut Milk Second Extract - 2 cups

Ghee - 1/4 cup + 1 tsp

Cardamom Powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt - a pinch

Cashew nuts(split) - 3 tbsp

Coconut Pieces - 1/4 cup

Water - 1/2 cup+ 1/4 cup+ 1 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup

METHOD

Wash the nendra bananas well. Peel and cook in a pressure cooker with sufficient water until you hear 2 whistles.

Strain the water. Grind the bananas adding 1/2 cup water into a fine paste. 

Grate the coconut.

Add 1/4 cup water to the coconut and pulse it in a mixer. Pass it through a fine sieve and press it to remove the first extract.

Add 1 1/2 cup water again to the coconut and remove the second extract.

Heat a wok/ kadai. Add the ghee. 

When ghee is warm add the banana paste and saute. Keep stirring on medium to low flame.

Meanwhile heat 1/2 cup water along with the jaggery and let it melt. Stir in between.

When the water in the wok has evaporated and the paste becomes thick add in the jaggery after straining.

Let it cook on low flame. Stir in between. When it becomes thick add in the second extract coconut milk.

Keep stirring till it becomes thick and the excess water has evaporated.

Add in the cardamom powder. 

Switch off the flame and add the first extract. Keep aside.

In a small kadai heat 1 tsp ghee. Fry the coconut pieces till they are golden brown in colour. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer it to the pradhaman. Keep flame low.

In the same ghee add the cashews and fry them till golden.

Add it to the pradhaman.

Stir well and serve.

Tips:

Use ripe bananas.

Here are the links to my Onam Special Sadhya Recipes

1.    Puli Ingi
2.    Olan
3.    Kalan
4.    Pineapple Pachadi
5.    Kumbalanga Pachadi
6.    Beetroot Achar
7.    Koottu-Curry
8.    Avial
9.    Kaaya Upperi

10.  Mathanga Vanpayar Erissery

11.  Tomato Rasam

12.  Semiya Payasam

13.  Sambaram

14.  Varutharacha Sambar

15.  Ada Pradhaman

16.  Gothambu Payasam

17.  Cherupayar Parippu Payasam

18. Parippu Curry

19. Instant Mango Achar