Healthy and wholesome onam sweets you need to try

After a heavy Onam Sadya, in between or on the days that the festival is being celebrated, in Kerala and beyond, one needs energy boosts every now and then, and nothing is better than a bowl, piece, or plate of Onam sweet dishes to get you going. Feed them to little ones for a few moments of respite, to weary adults and elderly, or as a treat to guests, all are festive desserts perfect for Onam!

1. Ada Pradhaman(Serves 6)

Ingredients

• 160 gm Ada (salted rice powder paste steamed in banana leaves, cut into small bits)
• 400 gm jaggery
• 450 ml thin coconut milk
• 225 ml thick coconut milk
• 60 ml ghee
• 24 cashews
• 60 gm coconut
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• ¼ tsp ginger powder

Instructions

1. Wash the Ada first, add it to 1 liter of boiling water, and set aside to cool, for 15 minutes.
2. Strain the Ada and rinse to avoid them from cooking further. Check if it’s slightly soft, not mushy, otherwise, it will disappear when cooked again later.
3. Add the jaggery and pour 200 ml of water and heat to dissolve the jaggery. Strain it through a metal sieve to remove any solid bits.
4. Take a nonstick pan, heat ghee, and fry the cashews, until they turn golden brown and aromatic. Put in a bowl and set aside.
5. Fry the coconut in the pan until it’s golden brown, then remove from the pan and set aside.
6. Add the dried Ada to the pan and saute for 1 minute, it is okay if it sticks to the pan. Add the jaggery syrup next and cook until the syrup thickens.
7. Pour the thin coconut milk and let it boil, until it thickens. Add the ginger powder and cardamom powder, followed by the thick coconut milk, and mix. Don’t let it boil.
8. Once mixed, add a few pieces of fried cashew nuts, coconut, and 2 tablespoons of ghee, and mix to combine.
9. As it starts to bubble switch off the heat and let it cool to thicken into a pudgy mass    

2. Paal Payasam(Serves 3)

Ingredients

• 1 liter milk
• 55 gm raw rice
• 120 gm sugar, to taste
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• 2 tsp ghee
• Cashew nuts, for garnish

Instructions

1. Soak the rice of choice, in water for 20 minutes to soften.
2. You will need a 3-liter pressure cooker for this recipe. Pour the milk, add the ghee, and let it boil.
3. Drain the water from the rice, add it to the cooker, and seal the lid.
4. Cook on low flame for 30 minutes. Set up a timer if needed, and after 20 minutes, open the lid and sprinkle the cardamon powder, add some of the fried cashews, and let it sit with the lid ajar for 10 minutes to thicken.
5. Serve the payasam in bowls with the rest of the fried cashews.

3. Kozhukatta(Makes 10 pieces)

Ingredients

For the jaggery filling:

• 300 gm jaggery
• 60 ml water
• 170 gm fresh coconut, grated
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• ½ tsp cumin powder

For the rice balls:

• 400 gm rice flour, roasted
• 350 ml water
• Salt, a pinch

Instructions

1. Let’s make the jaggery filling first, take a saucepan, pour water, and add the jaggery, stirring to combine, and heat on low flame. Simmer for 1 minute until the jaggery has melted.
2. Remove from heat and let it cool off. Then strain to remove any solid bits.
3. Transfer the melted jaggery back to the saucepan, and cook on medium heat. Add the fresh coconut. Stir and cook for 1 minute or until the coconut starts to shrivel up.
4. Once you have a dry mixture, add the cardamom and cumin and stir to mix. Set aside to cool.
5. Now, to make the dough, take a saucepan, and boil water with salt.
6. Take the rice flour in a heatproof bowl, and add this water to it, bit by bit, using a spoon to mix. Once warm enough, use your hands to knead into an elastic dough.
7. Divide the dough into 10 balls and flatten a little to shape them into cups. Distribute the filling between the ten balls and roll to seal the filling inside. Repeat until all the filling and dough are used up.
8. Arrange all the Kozhukatta in a steamer plate and steam for 15 minutes. Serve fresh.

4.Banana Halwa(Served 6)

Ingredients

• 3 big bananas
• 250 gm jaggery, crushed
• 50 gm sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 60 ml ghee
• 10 cashew nuts
• 1 cardamom pod, powdered

Instructions

1. Puree the banana in a blender then transfer to a heavy bottom saucepan or kadhai.
2. Cook the banana puree with jaggery and sugar, and once the jaggery melts and starts to boil, add the lemon juice.
3. Keep cooking and stirring until the mixture takes on a glossy sheen. Add ghee to aid the process. Let it thicken and leave the sides of the pan or kadhai and turn a little frothy.
4. Mix in the powdered cardamom, and chopped cashew nuts and mix.
5. Cook for a few more minutes as the halwa keeps frothing and turning pale in places.
6. Grease a serving bowl or plate and serve the halwa on it.