A Guide To Types Of Payasam In Kerala To Explore The State's Most Beloved Dessert
Written by jheelum basu | October 1, 2024
Payasam is the iconic face of Kerala’s natural, earthy, rustic dessert platter. While the state’s dessert culture is known for the dominance of natural ingredients, nothing beats the payasam in taste, texture, flavor, and hue. Moreover, it is payasam that writes the perfect sweet ending to the massive Onam Sadhya feast. While the annual harvest festival in Kerala is all about celebrating prosperity and joy, this dessert ensures the new beginnings start with a sweet note. And Kerala Payasam has not one, but multiple varieties to please your taste buds.
Kerala And Payasam: The Sacred Bond
Kerala and Payasam share a deeply intertwined relationship with Kerala’s cuisine. culture. Especially, the history of payasam in the Onam tradition is deeply rooted in Kerala’s temple culture, where it is often offered as a sacred offering. Payasam became more popular in Kerala when Brahmins settled there and used ingredients such as milk, coconut milk, dark jaggery, and sugar to make the classic pradhaman.
Most Popular Types Of Payasams In Kerala To Explore
Palada Pradhaman
Served at the end of the Onam Sadhya, this rich and creamy payasam is an integral part of the harvest festival celebration in the southern state. Made with rice flakes (ada), milk, and sugar, this is cherished for its caramel-like flavor paired with the deep golden-pink hue. Here, the rice flakes are steam-cooked on banana leaves, while the full-fat milk is simmered with sugar for hours to develop the color and flavor.
Chakka Pradhaman
Made with ripe jackfruit, jaggery, and coconut milk, Chakka Pradhaman is another popular variety of payasam in Kerala. Here, the base is made with thick coconut milk and jaggery. Chakka or jackfruit, being the best seasonal fruit, adds a classic seasonal flavor to the dessert.
Ada Pradhaman
While many of the other pradhamans or payasams feature a white or light pink hue, Ada Pradhaman is identified by its darker, richer color, as it contains jaggery. Made with rice ada (thin flakes), jaggery, and coconut milk, the creamy payasam carries a deep, caramel-like sweetness. For a festive nutty aroma and a crunchy texture, often fried cashews and raisins are added as well.
Paal Payasam
Paal Payasam is another rich and creamy traditional milk-based dessert that is served as an Onam Sadhya staple. This slow-cooked delicacy features short-grained rice, milk, and sugar. When cooked slowly over a low heat, it achieves a signature pale pink color and a naturally sweet flavor.
Parippu Payasam
Parippu Payasam is another popular traditional dessert that is served on banana leaf at the end of the meal. All it takes is some yellow moong dal, jaggery, and rich coconut milk. Often considered an ultimate comfort food in Kerala culture, Parippu Payasam is believed to symbolize prosperity and togetherness.
Semiya Payasam
Amongst all the payasams, this is probably the easiest and quickest recipe that you could come across. To make this milky, creamy, sweet payasam, all you need to do is roast some vermicelli in ghee, boil it in milk, and add some sugar or condensed milk for sweetening. For an aromatic twist in flavor, add a few cardamom pods. Ghee-roasted cashews and raisins are added for a rich and festive flavor twist. Made in under 20 minutes, this Semiya Payasam recipe is perfect for any occasion.
Conclusion: To taste Kerala’s most favorite dessert, try making all these payasams at home. While they taste delicious, most of them are simple to make.