Jackfruit Papad & Bottle Gourd Payasa/ Kheer

Jackfruit Papad & Bottle Gourd Payasa is one of the creation that I did very recently. We do love jackfruit Payasa/ kheer.

  There were some Jackfruits Papad which I got when we visited our home town long back.
We can get Jackfruit and varieties of Papads, sandige and other things in OOru.

There are  two varieties of Jackfruit Papads. One is to fry and the other one is for just eating as it is. The one we can eat without frying or roasting is prepared using well ripe jackfruits. These are specially munching papads during the rainy season. Its soft, chewy and sweet.
Jackfruits Papad & Bottle Gourd Payasa was delicious and it had jackfruit aroma since I used
Lets see the recipe now :

Ingredients.

To Cook : 
Jackfruit Papads : 2 to 3 (Papad should be soft and prepared using well ripe jackfruits).
Bottle Gourd : 1 Small Bowl (1/4 of the whole bottle gourd).
To Add : 
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup
To Grind :
Fresh Coconut : 1 Cup
Poppy Seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Cardamom : 3 to 4 Pods

                                            

Method : 

1. Wash and remove the outer layer of bottle gourd and cut into small pieces. (1 Bowl). Cook till it turns soft.

2. Cut Jackfruit Papad into small pieces and Keep it aside.
3. Add jaggery and mix it well. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes and see that all the jaggery melted well.

4. Add cut Jackfruit pieces and cook for some time.

5. Grate coconut and grind it with a tsp of poppy seeds, cardaom seeds and grind it till paste.
Add required water to grind.
6. Add coconut mixture and mix it well.

7. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes and put off the fire.

8. Shift the payasa to a serving dish and serve.

Note :

Cut bottle gourd pieces very small and cook till they are soft.
Use well ripe jackfruit papad to get good taste of Jackfruits.
Adding a tsp of fresh ghee is optional.
Store Well ripe Jackfruit Papad in Refrigerator so that it does not get spoil.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4. 

Bottle Gourd - Almond Kheer

Bottle Gourd - Almond Kheer is a sweet dish and it is one of the quick and delicious dish.
One of the yummy desert to serve after food.

 This way you can make kids eat some veggies. Bottle gourd is full of fiber, rich source of vitamins and minerals. Jaggery and almonds provide energy and boost your health.
We South Canara People have sweet tooth, and do eat lots of Payasa/kheer. Many vegetables are used in preparing Payasa/Kheer.
I have used jaggery, bottle gourd, almonds, coconut milk, poppy seeds and Seasoned with cashews, and raisins. Added cardamom to give inviting aroma.
We had some guest some time last week and I prepared this delicious Bottle gourd - Almond kheer.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed : 

Bottle Gourd Gratings : 1 Bowl
Jaggery : 1 Cup
Coconut : 1 Cup
Almonds : 6 to 8
Poppy Seeds : 1 Tablespoon
Cardamom : 3 to 4 Pods

Method :

1. Wash bottle gourd and take out the outer layer and grate bottle gourd.
2. Grate coconut and keep it aside. Soak almonds in hot water and remove its skin.
3. Clean poppy seeds and soak in plain water for 5 minutes.
4. Keep a pan and add 1 cup of water. Heat it. Add jaggery and let it melt completely.
5. Sieve jaggery liquid and keep it aside.
6. Now keep a pan on the fire and put jaggery liquid to the pan.
7. Let it boil for 2 minutes. Add bottle gourd grating and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
8. Grind, coconut, almonds, poppy seeds and cardamom with little water.
9. Grind it nicely. It should turn into fine paste consistency.
10. Add this ground coconut mixture to boiling bottle gourd mixture.
11. Let it boil for 5 minutes. Let it cook on low flame. Stir in between Shift the Kheer to a serving dish.
12. Add ghee fried cashews and raisins to the kheer and serve.

Note 

Adding more almonds makes the kheer thick. It is just enough to add 5 to e almonds to get the aroma and good health. You can add more jaggery. But I like mild taste. Adding ghee fried cashews and raisins is optional. You can add them with out frying .
Time : 20 Minutes. 
Serves : 4 to 5 .

Sweet Potato - Poppy Seeds Payasa / Kheer.

Sweet Potato Payasa is one of the traditional Payasa/kheer done during the harvest of sweet potatoes.  You get plenty of fresh sweet potatoes during winter season.
It is normally during winter and sweet potatoes helps the body to be warm and energetic.

 I normally prepare sweet potato payasa without poppy seeds and use coconut milk.
I thought of using poppy seeds and wanted to try and enjoy this payasa. Anyways it is an easy dish and it taste delicious.
Normally we do use coconut milk in payasa and this time I have used poppy seeds/gasgase with coconut and use the whole ground paste. Use of poppy seeds helps us to get rid of gas in food.

Let us see some benefits of eating Sweet Potatoes in our diet.
Sweet Potatoes help us to lose weight. Eating sweet potatoes helps to maintain a healthy blood pressure. It is high in fiber and helps to prevent constipation. Sweet potatoes helps to improve immunity. It helps to control diabetes.
Sweet Potato contain no fats and filled with antioxidants. It is rich in carbohydrates and proteins. It contain Vitamin C, Vitamin B6 and potassium. It contain minerals like Vitamin E, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and zinc.
Sweet Potatoes are good for diabetic people. It helps to improve the digestion and reduces the inflammation. It helps in reducing the stress and strengthens the body immunity.
I have used sweet potatoes, jaggery, coconut, cardamom and poppy seeds.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Sweet Potatoes : 3 to 4 ( Small in size ).
Jaggery : 1 Small cup  ( Powdered jaggery 4 to 5 tablespoons ).
Fresh grated coconut : 1 Cup
Poppy Seeds : 1 Tablespoon
Cardamom : 4 to 5 Pods
Avalakki :2 Tablespoons ( Optional )
Salt : A pinch

Method :

1. Keep a pan and put jaggery and 1 cup of water. Let jaggery melt nicely. Let it boil for 2 minutes after it melts. Sieve this mixture and keep the clean jaggery aside.
2. Wash and peel off the skin of sweet potatoes and cut in to small. Wash it again and soak in clean water for 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Now cook sweet potato pieces with required water till they turn soft. Wash and soak a tablespoon of avalakki / flattened rice.
4. Grate coconut and remove the seeds of cardamom. Grind it with 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds with required water till it turn as paste.

5. Add jaggery water to cooked sweet potato pieces and let it boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Add a pinch of salt to boiling mixture.

6. Now add ground coconut and poppy seeds - cardamom mixture. Mix it well.

7. Add soaked avalakki /flattened rice and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. It helps to bind the payasa nicely.

8. Shift Sweet Potato payasa to a serving dish. Add a cup of fresh milk just before serving.

9. Serve delicious Hot or cold " Sweet Potato Payasa /Kheer " and enjoy.

Note :

Cut sweet potato pieces into small to relish the taste. It helps to cook sweet potatoes fast. Adding flattened rice/Avalakki helps to bind the payasa well. You can use a teaspoon of soaked raw rice instead of avalakki. Wash and soak raw rice for at least for 5 minutes. Use of poppy seeds is optional. Use of coconut milk instead of coconut paste is optional. Adding more / less jaggery is optional. Use of sugar instead of jaggery is optional. Adding fresh milk adds to the taste. Add it once the payasa turns slightly cool.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves :  5 to 6.

Channa Dal Payasa / Kheer

Shravana the month of festival is here. It is a festival of nature. Naagapanchami , Nagara chowthi, Raksha bhandhan, Shri Krishna Janmastami, so and so many festivals in this month. It looks like almost all the days in this month people are busy with poojas, naivedya and pooja functions.

So every day you need to prepare some or the other sweet dishes for Neivedya to God/Goddess.
Here is one such sweet dish which is prepared for festivals, feast and other happy functions.
Channa dal/kadale bele payasa is one of the easiest dish which we can prepare and serve as neivedya.
I have used channa dal, avalakki/flattened rice, jaggery, cardamom and coconut
This Channa Dal Payasa is done during poojas, festivals and feast. It is cooked and then mixed with jaggery, coconut milk, cardamom, and avalakki./flattened rice. Some use cooked rice instead of avalakki.
This Channa Dal Payasa is one of the Traditional Dish from South Canara /Karnataka and we can prepare them for festivals, feast and parties.

Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

Channa Dal : 1 Cup
Avalakki /Aval/Poha : 1 small cup./2 handful.
Jaggery : 3/4 Cup
Cardamom : 5 to 6 Pods
Coconut : 1 Cup
Salt : A pinch.

Method :

1. Wash channa dal and pressure cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Let it cool.

2. Grate coconut and grind it with cardamom pods. Grind it nicely. Remove coconut mixture  in a bowl. Wash avalakki/flattened rice and keep it aside.

3. Keep a pan on the fire and put jaggery. Add a cup of water and mix it. Let jaggery melt and it turns as liquid. Sieve it with a siever and keep it aside.
. Let it get cool. Strain it keep cleaned jaggery aside.

4.Keep cooked dal on the fire and put cleaned jaggery water to it. Add washed avalakki and boil.
Let it boil nicely. Add a pinch of salt.

5. Now add ground coconut mixture and mix it well. Let it boil for at least 5 minutes.

6. Shift Channa Dal Payasa /Kheer to a serving bowl.
7. Keep a small pan on the fire and heat. Put a tablespoon of ghee and fry cashews and raisins till raisins get fluffy.

8. Add this ghee fried nuts to Payasa/kheer.
9. Serve ready payasa after a lunch/dinner as desert.

Note :
Channa Dal should be cooked softly to get the best payasa. Adding coconut milk instead of ground coconut is optional.
Use of fresh coconut milk is a must to get good taste. Use of more/less ghee is optional.
Using coconut milk adds to the taste. You can use cooked rice instead of avalakki. (Optional). You can also use little raw rice grains while grinding coconut. It adds to the thickness of payasa.
Adding boiled and cooled fresh milk to Payasa , just before serving is optional. It adds to the taste. Do not add hot milk. Payasa might get curdled.
Time : 30 Minutes 
Serves : 4 to 5 
Purely : South Canara Sweet Dish.

Pasta Kheer

Pasta is known as Italian food. Different shapes of Pasta available in the market. Pastas are cooked with different ways with  different vegetables and cheese. Here I have tried Kheer out of Pasta. We Indians try to adopt and cook things using our own ingredients and to set it according to our life style and our taste. Preparing Kheer, using Pasta is not new. I have heard and even read recipes about it. But most of them had sugar in it.

We South Canara people prepare Paradi Payasa. (Kheer is called as Paayasa in Kannada language). But this is done with rice flour or Maida flour. Even in Kerala Adai Payasam or Adha Prathamam is famous. Adah is nothing but rice flakes. I have prepared Adha Payasa many times. We do prepare Payasa with Semiya also. Semiya is also a thin variety of Pasta. Seeing Pasta pack invited me to try this Payasa. Definitely the taste was really yemmy and finger licking. I used fresh coconut milk, jaggery and a cup of fresh milk.   

Here is a recipe of "Pasta Kheer"(Pasta Payasa) and it will surely liked by all  I am sure. 

Things Needed : 

Pasta : 1 Bowl (Small)
Coconut milk  : 1 Cup
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup
Dates : 6 to 8
Cardamom : 8 to 10 pods

Method :

1. Grate coconut and grind with little water and squeeze out milk. (Thick milk) Keep it aside separately.
2. Again put some more water and grind the same coconut and remove milk from it. Keep it aside. Keep it separately.

3. Powder cardamom and keep it aside.

4. Remove the seeds from dates and cut into small and keep it aside.

5. Now keep 3 to 4 cups of water for boiling and  put Pasta and cook.

6. When the pasta turn soft drain the extra water and keep pasta aside.

7. Now keep a big bowl and put the thinner coconut milk, boiled pasta and jaggery and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

8. Let jaggery melt and start boiling. Now mix thick coconut milk. Let it boil for 2 minutes. (Do not boil for a long time).

9. Add cardamom and pour the Kheer to a serving bowl.

  10. Add fresh boiled milk just before serving.

Notes : 

You can use sugar instead of jaggery. You can use tinned coconut milk instead of fresh coconut milk. You can add ghee fried nuts to the Kheer.
Adding more or less jaggery is optional. Use of any type of Pasta is optional.
Time : 30 minutes
Serves : 6  (Small Servings) 
 

Moong Dal Bulgar Kheer

Moong Dal Bulgar (broken wheat) kheer or Paayasa is a sweet dish. Fresh coconut milk, jaggery, cardamom and cashew nuts are also added and prepared this tasty Payasa.Moong Dal Bulgar Payasa is prepared during the festivals and the feasts. Its healthy since moong dal and bugar with jaggery is used. Cardamom is used to add the flavour and it helps to digest the heavy food easily.

Moong Dal is good source of protein and dietary fiber. It is low in fat and rich in potassium, calcium and B complex vitamins. It is easy to digest and the fiber in Moong dal helps to drecrease high cholesterol.
Bulgar or the broken wheat is a good source of fiber. It contains protein, iron and vitamins. It is low in fat and calories. It also helps to prevent constipation.
Jaggery acts as a digestive agent. It has a ability to cleanse our body. Jaggery provide good amount of mineralss.
Fresh coconut milk is Antioxidants and contain vitamins and minerals.
As I said before this yemmy payasa is a 100 % healthy food. Sweet tooth people can njoy this payasa at any time of the day.

Things needed :
Bulgar : 1/2 Cup
Moong Dal 1/2 cup
Jaggery : 1/2 cup
Cashew Nuts : 6 to 8
Cardamom : 4 to 6 pods
Coconut : 1 Cup
Ghee : 1 Tea spoon
Milk : 1 Cup

Method :

1. Wash and cook Bulgar and Moong dal separately in a pressure cooker.

2. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
3. Powder the caradamom.

4. Now grind coconut with little water and squeeze out the milk. Put the same remaining squeezed coconut and grind again with little water and remove the milk (second time).  Keep it separately.
5. Now put cooked bulgar and moong dal in a big pan. Add jaggery. Keep it on the fire.
6. Mix it nicely. Let it boil for 2 minutes. See that it does not burn at the bottom.
7. Now add the coconut milk which is collected at the second time. ( Little watery).
8. Mix it nicely and let this mixture boil for 2 more minutes. Add water if required.
9. Now add the thick coconut milk (the first time you have collected).
10. Let this mixture boil for a minute. Put off the gas and put the Payasa in serving bowl.

11. Add cashew nuts and powdered cardamom. Mix it well.

12. Add milk and a spoon of fresh ghee on the top. ( 1 Tea spoon will do). Mix it nicely and serve

Note : If you want more quantity you can increase the quantity of moong dal and bulgar and jaggery. You can also use dried grapes (raisins). You can even fry raisins and cashew nuts in the ghee and then pour this mixture to the Payasa. Adding more fresh milk will taste good. Do not boil the coconut milk for a long time. It may smell different. You can also use 1 or 2 cloves along with cardamom.
Serves : 4 to 6
Time : 40 minutes.