Ada Pradaman

This post is part of Onam and Sadya. The recipe below will make enough to serve 6 - 8 people for a Sadya. Measurements are only approximate.

Those who know me are well aware that I do not make payasam or pradhaman. GC, my husband, is the King of payasam/ pradhaman at home. So if ever I am alloted a payasam or pradhaman for a potluck, GC is
responsible for it. But from the beginning of this year, some unknown powers have been urging me to learn to make payasam/ pradhaman. I made a last minute decision to go ahead with preparing Ada Pradaman with palada (I could make Ada at home. There were tons of recipes on the internet. But I wanted to be myself this time). When I decided on this, I couldn't get my Mum on the telephone and so hints from GC were the only ones that I could rely on. Again, one minor issue with the pradaman was that the ada was not cooked enough. But I nailed the taste.

Ingredients

• 50g rice ada
• 30g sago pearls
• 125 g + 30 g jaggery
• 200 ml + 150 ml thick coconut milk
• water as required
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp dry ginger powder
• 1/2 tsp cardamon powder
• 1/2 tbsp + 1 tsp clarified butter/ ghee
• 1/2 tbsp raisins
• 1 tbsp cashewnut
• 1 1/2 tbsp coconut pieces, chopped

Method
1.  In a pan add sago pearls, 30g jaggery and 1 cup water. Bring to boil and then simmer over low flame until sago pearls are cooked (they should become transparent). Add more water if required, until pearls are cooked.
2. Wash ada and soak in boiling hot water for 20 minutes. Drain water and keep aside. Melt 125g jaggery in 500 ml of water. Keep it aside. In a deep cooking pan heat 1/2 tbsp clarified butter. Saute ada for a minute and add jaggery water and 200 ml of coconut milk. Add more water if required and cook till ada becomes soft.
3. Now add cooked sago pearls along with the liquid to cooked ada. Bring to boil. Then add remaining coconut milk and when it is about to boil remove from flame. Add cumin powder, ginger powder and cardamon powder. In a pan heat 1 tsp clarified butter and fry raisins, cashewnuts and coconut pieces seperately. Add these to pradaman.

Serve hot with banana and pappadom.....