Step-by-Step Guide to Onam Chocolate Pradhaman: What to Add for a Richer, Festive Taste

Onam spans for ten divine days, welcoming the return of King Mahabali and the prosperity of every home. Relatives come together for the festive sadhya, a sprawling feast spread on banana leaves, which typically comprises over 20 courses. Among them, the pradhaman, a slow-cooked, rich payasam is a treasured one. Cooked conventionally with jaggery, coconut milk, and roasted nuts and seeds, it brings the feast to a sweet close.

Now, think of adding a fun touch without losing its essence. This Onam, make Chocolate Pradhaman. A dish that combines Kerala's heritage with one of the world's favorites. Rather than viewing chocolate as something unusual for this celebration, consider it a new companion to the coconut milk and jaggery. It enriches the flavor, warms it up, and brings joy to the faces of children just as much as it soothes the seniors.

It’s not about going away from the tradition but reviving it with fresh flavors. Festivals bring change, and so do our kitchens. Many families are already experimenting with various additions, such as fruits and dry fruits; now, chocolate is the next on the list. Onam Chocolate Pradhaman is a traditional treat that is festive for all age groups. It's simple, homey, and full of meaning, just like Onam.

Ingredients

• ½ cup roasted ada (rice flakes, soaked)
• 2 cups coconut milk (first and second extract)
• 1 cup jaggery, melted and strained
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder (unsweetened)
• 50 g dark chocolate, chopped
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 2 tbsp cashews
• 2 tbsp raisins
• 1 pinch cardamom powder
• Water as needed

Method:

Begin by boiling the soaked ada in hot water until it is soft, then drain and set aside. Heat jaggery with a small amount of water in a heavy-bottomed pan, then strain and reheat. Mix the cooked ada in it and let it soak in the sweetness. Mix in the second extract of coconut milk and let it simmer over low heat.

Now whisk cocoa powder into a spoon of lukewarm milk to prevent lumps and mix it in the bubbling mixture. Add chopped dark chocolate and let it melt, blending exquisitely with the coconut foundation. After it becomes slightly thick, pour in the first coconut milk extract, maintaining a low flame to prevent it from splitting.

In a small pan, heat the ghee, sauté the cashews until golden, and add the raisins until they are puffed, then fold them into the pradhaman along with the cardamom. Mix once, turn off the heat, and serve warm in small steel tumblers or earthen pots.

What to Add for a Richer, Festive Taste

1. Roast the ada with ghee before boiling

Most people boil ada straight, but lightly roasting it in ghee enhances the nutty flavor. This keeps it from getting sticky and imparts a lustrous sheen to your pradhaman. Indian home cooks have long used this small trick to their advantage in festive payasams.

2. You can use jaggery varieties

Rather than using a single block of jaggery, mix palm jaggery with the usual jaggery. Palm jaggery provides a woody undertone, and the usual one imparts a smooth sweetness. Together, they go perfectly well with the chocolate and introduce a depth that would not be possible with sugar alone.

3. Go for dark chocolate over milk

Dark chocolate maintains well in slow cooking. Milk chocolate melts away as additional sweetness, but dark chocolate does not. Choose one that is 60-70% cocoa, as it prevents the pradhaman from tasting like a sweet dessert but is still rich.

4. Fry nuts in ghee, not oil

Cashews and raisins might be small things, but they're the beginning. Cooking them in ghee instead of oil takes the flavor through the dish. The faint crackle of raisins expanding in ghee is the sound familiar to most Indian kitchens, and it lends the festive flavor you cannot do without.

5. Toss in a pinch of cardamom towards the end

Cardamom becomes weak when boiled for an extended period of time. Grind it fresh and sprinkle it at the very end. The aroma persists without dominating the chocolate. Home cooks often overlook this, but timing is crucial for a payasam that's balanced and festive.

6. Use thick coconut milk judiciously

Though coconut milk is the core of pradhaman, dispensing excessive thick extract altogether can lead to splitting. Always add the second extract initially, allow the ingredients to bind, and only then mix in the first extract towards the end. This tip guarantees creaminess without weight and has been a secret in Kerala kitchens for centuries.

7. Serve in clay pots

Serving doesn't alter the ingredients, but it alters the experience. Earthen pots keep food hot for long and impart a natural fragrance. In most homes throughout Kerala, festive sweets are served even now in manchatti (earthenware pots). For your Onam Chocolate Pradhaman, this touch makes the festival come alive even more than elegant serveware.