Onam is an annual Hindu festival celebrated in the state of Kerala in honor of King Mahabali, whose reign is considered the golden era in the state. It usually falls during the months of August-September according to the Malayalam calendar. Onam is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm and grandeur, where a vegetarian feast called the onam sadya is prepared, and homes are decorated with pookalam, an intricate floral arrangement that symbolizes prosperity. So, here are some sweet dishes that you can make at home if you’re wondering how to celebrate Onam at home this year.
Paal Payasam
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp raw basmati rice
- 1 litre milk
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp ghee
Instructions:
- Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan, and once it is hot enough, add the raw rice to it.
- Stir until the rice grains are coated with ghee, and are fragrant and toasted. Don’t let the grains turn brown.
- Then add the milk to the rice and bring it to a boil on low heat.
- Continue to simmer the milk until the rice is fully cooked.
- Then mash the rice with the back of a spoon, and mix. This will help the milk to thicken.
- Keep the pot of milk covered and keep it simmering for 8 to 10 minutes. After this incorporate the sugar and mix again.
- Keep it cooking for some more time and you will notice that the milk will thicken.
Ada Pradhaman
Ingredients:
- 80 gm rice ada
- 200 gm jaggery
- 240 ml thin coconut milk
- 240 ml thick coconut milk
- 600 ml water
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 3 tbsp cashews
- 3 tbsp raisins
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
Instructions:
- Add 200 g of jaggery to a saucepan along with 118 ml of water on low heat. Stir and allow the jaggery to melt evenly.
- Take the rice ada in a deep bottomed pan, and add the rest of the water to this.
- Cook on medium low heat until the mixture thickens and is cooked through.
- At this point, pour the jaggery syrup.
- Next comes the coconut milk, and stir. Keep the mixture cooking for a couple of minutes.
- Heat ghee in a pan and fry the cashews and raisins until golden brown and plump.
- Add them to the pudding along with the cardamom powder.
Parippu Payasam
Ingredients:
- 250 gm skinless green gram (moong dal)
- 250 gm jaggery
- 480 ml thick coconut milk
- Pinch of green cardamom powder
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 tbsp dried coconut pieces
- 5-6 cashews
- 1 tbsp raisins
Instructions:
- Dry roast the dal in a saucepan until fragrant and toasty. Then add it to a pressure cooker.
- Add enough water to cover the lentils, then cover and cook for about three whistles.
- Melt the jaggery with some water so you get a thick syrup. You can also strain this syrup to remove any impurities.
- Once all of the steam escapes from the pressure cooker, open it and place it back on the stove.
- At this point, mix in the jaggery syrup into the cooked lentils. Mix and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add coconut milk and cardamom powder to the mixture. Bring it to a boil.
- The pudding will have thickened slightly and the lentils would have become quite mushy. Remove from heat and set it aside.
- Heat ghee in another saucepan and fry the dried coconut pieces in along with the cashews and raisins.
- Top your parippu payasam with the ghee-fried coconut pieces and dried fruit and nuts.
Banana Halwa
Ingredients:
- 1 kg overripe bananas
- 60 g ghee
- 500 g jaggery
- 60 ml water
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder
- 3 tbsp roasted cashew
Instructions:
- Peel and slice all of the overripe bananas, then turn them into a purée. You can do this with a fork or in a food processor.
- Heat all of the ghee in a heavy bottomed pan and add the banana purée to it.
- Cook the banana purée until it loses its raw scent.
- Then create a jaggery syrup with water and 500 grams of the jaggery.
- Once the jaggery melts and you get a syrup, add it to the banana purée.
- Continue cooking the banana purée down until the ghee starts leaving the sides of the pan.
- Once you achieve this, add the cardamom powder and the cashews.
- Transfer the halwa into a parchment lined thali or baking tray.
- Let the halwa cool down and solidify for about three hours.
- Then cut it into squares.