Dates Pradhaman and a Delectable Onam

Let me start by wishing all of you a very Happy Onam. For the past few years, we have made it a tradition to either call friends over for Onam or at least distribute payasam. I was looking for a new payasam to try this year and coincidentally saw part of this recipe on a Malayalam channel.

Even though it was an experiment, I was quite sure that it would turn out delicious (not bragging about my cooking skills…its truly that simple to make).

Ingredients

Pitted dates – 2 ½ cups (approx.)

Melted jaggery – 1 – 1 ½ cups (to taste)

Ghee/Clarified butter – 1 tbsp

Coconut milk – 5 cups

Water for soaking the dates and melting the jaggery

For Garnish

Chopped dates – ¼ cup

Cashew nut (chopped) – ¼ cup

Ghee/Clarified butter – 1 tbsp

Method

It is recommended to use a heavy bottomed vessel, like a cooker, for making this or any payasam. 

Chop the dates and make a paste (you could soak the dates in a little water for about 15-20 minutes for easier grinding). Keep aside.

Place a saucepan/vessel on medium heat. Add jaggery and about a ¼ cup of water and allow it to melt. Leave it on the lowest heat setting, while you start working on the dates.

Place the cooker on low heat and add 1-tablespoon ghee. Add the dates paste and allow it to cook for about 10-12 minutes, while stirring every 2 minutes or so.

Add half of the melted jaggery to the dates and stir well.

Allow it to cook for about 5 minutes. Taste and add more jaggery, if required.

Once the dates and jaggery mixture starts coming together, reduce the heat and add the coconut milk. (I used the ready-made variety that comes in a can. If using fresh milk, add the third/most diluted extract first, cook for about 10 minutes, add the second extract, and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Finally, add the first or the thickest milk and take it off the heat).

With the ready-made milk, you can allow the mixture to simmer for about 10 minutes after adding the milk and then remove it from the stove.

Heat a small pan, add 1-tablespoon ghee, and sauté the cashew nuts until they turn light brown. Turn off the heat and add the chopped dates. Mix well and garnish the dates pradhaman.

Serve warm or cold to suit your taste. 

For more Onam recipes, visit Onam Special and Onam and an Exciting Start to a Long Weekend.
Wishing you all a Very Happy and Delectable Onam!

A No Cook, Healthy Breakfast: Chia-Soy Pudding

Have you been looking for a tasty, yet healthy alternative to the regular breakfast items like cereal, oats, idly etc? I present to you the Chia Seeds. Grown in parts of South America, these seeds can be called a super food. A big trend among raw food enthusiasts, chia seeds are an excellent source of mega fatty acids, which are essential for our body. Click here to learn  more about the health benefits and side effects of chia seeds. 

To be honest, the first time I had chia seeds, I wasn't a big fan. I think it was the gelatinous texture that didn't win my vote. But I happened to have it for breakfast last week, and loved it. What was more surprising? My husband loved it too. He was all for having chia seeds for breakfast everyday and why would I say no? 

We have been struggling to get out of the rut of eating typical Indian foods in the morning and this seemed like the right option. Trust me, I have nothing against idlys and dosas but it is a fact that our food is loaded with carbs. which is something we should try and avoid having an excess of.  I know that habits can’t be changed overnight, so maybe we’ll alternate chia seeds and regular foods for a while before switching over completely.

The most attractive feature of these seeds is that there is no cooking involved; all they needs is a little bit of soaking time. The best thing would be to soak it in water and milk (regular/soy) overnight to enjoy in the morning. If not, please soak it for at least 45 minutes-an hour before consumption.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

Chia seeds – 3 tbsps

Water – ½ cup

Soy milk – ½- ¾ cup

Fruits of your choice

Method

Place the chia seeds in a bowl or large mug, pour water and milk, and allow to soak overnight or at least for 45 minutes. As the seeds soak, they expand and form a gelatinous mixture. Meanwhile, chop the fruits and keep ready. Today I used half a mango, half a plum, and a small apple. You could of course add whatever is available at home. Nuts can be added for an extra crunch.

After 45 minutes, the chia seeds would have expanded and increased in quantity. Mix in the fruits and enjoy a filling breakfast. Bon Appétit.  

Note: We bought the chia seeds from here.

Upside Down Mango Cake

I know that it has been a while since Square Meals has posted anything; please accept our apologies. I have been self diagnosed with a cook’s block (like the writer’s block) and have not made anything new for a while. I had baked this cake earlier this month, when our friends had visited us but did not get around to posting it.

Upside down cakes sound very fancy and tough to make, but trust me they are super simple. You can substitute the mangoes with any fruit of your choice. Head out to the farmer’s market, pick the freshest seasonal fruit, and get baking. I have had upside down cakes with pineapple, have made it with apple and have seen recipes for pear, plum, orange, and cherry cakes. The possibilities are endless, and it is all up to your choice.

Ingredients

Cake Batter

• Wheat flour - 1 cup
• Baking powder – 1 tsp
• Salt – ¼ tsp
• Honey – ¼ cup
• Milk – ¾ cup
• Oil - 3 tbsps (I used olive oil)
• Nutmeg – a pinch

For Upside Down Mangoes

• Mangoes – sliced into long pieces, enough to cover the bottom of the baking dish
• Light/dark brown sugar – ½- ¾ cup
• Butter – 2-3 tbsps

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Mangoes

Heat together the butter and sugar, one low heat. Once the sugar and butter have melted completely, allow the mixture to simmer for about 3-4 minutes, while stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile grease your baking dish and keep ready.

Arrange the mango slices on the bottom of the greased baking dish. Make sure you cover the entire bottom. Take the butter-sugar mixture and pour over the mangoes.

Cake Batter

In a bowl, mix all the wet ingredients. In a different bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well. Pour into the prepared baking dish and make sure the batter covers the mango slices well. Bake for about 25-30 minutes. I would recommend checking after about 20 minutes. If a toothpick or knife comes out clean, then your cake is done.

Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven and allow it to cool for 15 minutes. The cake should slide out easily, because the dish has been greased but you can run a knife around the edges to loosen the cake. Take the platter onto which you wish to remove the cake, place it on the baking dish, and carefully turn it around. Bon Appétit.

There was a time when my mother used to make copious amounts of ice cream at home and our relatives would flock to our home to devour it, along with her other specialties. When mangoes were in season, she would serve vanilla ice cream with diced mangoes. In tribute to that awesome combination, I served the cake slices with a scoop of ice cream.  Bon Appètit!

Papaya Payasam (Kheer)

A few weeks ago, I chanced upon a cookery show on Asianet (a Malayalam channel) and the host was starting to make papaya payasam. Until then, I had not heard the words papaya and payasam together so I was intrigued.

The process seemed simple enough and I decided to try it. But I didn’t make it for a few weeks…even though there was a papaya sitting on my counter, waiting to be cut. The thing is, if I make anything sweet, and my husband doesn’t care for it much, I end up having the leftovers. To avoid that, I waited for an opportune moment and finally made it when a cousin visited us for dinner.

The payasam was an absolute hit and received a thumbs-up from both the tasters. My cousin had a hard time figuring out what the payasam was made of, he guessed and guessed and finally gave up!!!

Ingredients

Cooked papaya – 1 ¼ cups (approx.)

Melted jaggery – ¾ -1 cup (to taste)

Coconut milk – 1-1 ¼ cups

Cardamom powder – a pinch

Ghee – 2 tsps

Raisins and almonds/cashews for garnish

Water for cooking the papaya and melting jaggery

Method

Deseed and dice a ripe papaya into chunks. Place the papaya in a small saucepan, pour enough water to submerge the pieces, cover and cook until mushy. At this point, you can either transfer the cooked pulp to a blender to make a smooth paste or whisk it to a slightly lumpy consistency. I thought it would be better to leave some lumps, so I did not blend it. In the same saucepan, melt jaggery with a little bit of water. Once it has completely melted, add the papaya pulp and mix well. Allow it to heat through, on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Slowly add the coconut milk and mix well. Technically, the recipe calls for the first, second and third milks extracted from a coconut. I had just one kind…the kind that comes from a can :-). Reduce the heat to low and allow it to sit for about 10 minutes more. Add the cardamom powder.

*If you are using freshly extracted coconut milk, pour the third (most diluted) version first, then the second and finally the first. The payasam should not be cooked too long after the addition of the thickest milk.

Heat the ghee in a small pan placed on low heat. Add the nuts first. As they start toasting, add the raisins and sauté for a couple of minutes. Once they plump up, remove and pour onto the payasam. Serve warm or cold, tastes divine either way. Bon Appétit. 

Note: *To extract fresh coconut milk, you’ll need lots of grated coconut, hot water, regular water, and a blender/mixie. Pour a little hot water onto the coconut and squeeze away. The thick white extract you get is the first milk. Now put the coconut into a blender jar, add some more water and grind until it’s a fine paste. Add some more water and squeeze out the extract. This is the second milk. Do this once more and you have the third milk.