Ada Pradhaman–Kerala

Come and travel with me to Kerala - Called as the "God's Own Country"... Kerala is a coastal state which has the highest literacy rate and lowest positive population growth rate in India. The state also has the highest human development index in the country. Kerala is very popular for the Black Pepper, Cardamom, Cinnamon, cloves, cumin, Tea and seafood. It is very picturesque and beautiful place with a beautiful coast, many coconut trees and fertile greenery. The Cuisine of Kerala is linked to its richness to its history and culture. Rice and Tapioca are also popular. Coming to today’s recipe, it is a sweet dish made with ada, coconut milk and jaggery.. This delicacy is made during the Onam festival. Onam is a festival of harvest celebrated in Kerala and is celebrated during September. The flavor of coconut milk, jaggery and the aromatic spices are so heavenly. I got this recipe from a few places online… This is like the payasam we make for festivals and marriages. Loved the taste and was so excited to have made this authentic dish..

Ingredients

Home made Ada - 1/2 cup – recipe coming soon
Jaggery - 1 cup
Coconut Milk (thick) - 3/4 cup
Coconut Milk (thin) - 1 1/2 cups
Coconut Slices - 3 table spoons
Ghee - 1 table spoon + 1 tea spoon
Cashew - 10
Raisins - 2 table spoons
Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tea spoon
Hot Water - 2 cups
Water - 1/2 cup
Edible Camphor - A pinch (optional, but adds lot of flavor)
Nutmeg - few grates (optional, but adds lot of flavor)

Method

Soak the ada (if not using fresh one) in hot water for 30 minutes. It will be soft by now. It should be just soft, but not too soft as it will get cooked again in coconut milk.
Drain the excess water completely and rinse a few times in cold water. If you are using home made ada, you can skip this and the previous step. No soaking and draining required.
Spread it on a plate to ensure that it does not stick
Heat a table spoon of ghee and sauté the coconut slices for a minute. Remove from pan
In the same pan, sauté the cashew until golden and add the raisins and sauté for 10 seconds
Set it aside
Add 1 tea spoon more ghee and sauté the adda on very low flame for 4 to 5 minutes
Set it aside..

Dissolve the jaggery in the water
When completely dissolved, strain and remove impurities (if any)
Heat the jaggery water again and the ada pieces
Cook on medium flame until it thickens
After it thickens, add the thin coconut milk and cook on medium flame until it thickens again
Once it thickens, add the thick coconut milk and switch off the flame. Do not cook after adding the thick coconut milk as it will curdle.
Add the cardamom powder, cashew and raisins
Mix well and now the ada pradhaman is ready

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