Chakka pradhaman or Jackfruit payasam is a tasty kheer that is prepared by Keralits for Onam.

Ingredients:

Chakka or jack fruit or pala pazham – 2 cup after removing the seeds and cleaning

Jaggery – 2 cups

Grated Coconut – 2 cups

Ghee – 2 tsp

Cardamom – 2

Method:

1. Steam cook the jack fruit and get it grinded like a jam without adding water.

2. Grind the coconut and extract the first milk and keep it aside.

3. Similarly, extract the second and third milk and keep them.

4. Take equal quantity of jaggery and add the third concentrated milk and heat it.

5. Filter it to another vessel leaving behind the dust from jaggery and add the paste.

6. Now add ghee and mix well.

7. Add the second concentrated coconut milk to the heating paste, jaggery and ghee mixture and stir well.

9. Keep stirring in order to prevent the coconut milk from curdling.

10. Turn off the stove when the mixture starts thickening and finally add the first concentrated coconut milk. Stir well and add ground cardamom.

11. Season with little coconut fried in ghee(optional).

Chakka Pradhaman

Ingredients:

Pasi parupu or moong dhal or payatham paruppu – 1 cup

Tomato – 2

Onion – 2

Green Chilli – 2

Turmeric powder – a pinch

Tamarind – a small lemon size

Chilli powder – 1 tsp

Salt – to taste

Oil – 2tsp

Mustard – 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Cook the moong dhal or pasi paruppu adding water and turmeric. Keep it aside.

2. Keep onion and tomatoes finely chopped.

3. Extract juice from tamarind adding water.

4. Slice the green chilli and keep it ready.

5. Now take a pan or bowl, heat oil, add mustard and allow it to splatter.

6. Now add the chopped onion, tomato and the sliced green chilli and fry for few mins.

7. Now add the tamarind juice and add the chilli powder, salt and mix well.

8. Allow it to boil and then add the cooked pasi paruppu or moong dhal.

9. Mix well and allow it to boil and finally garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Pasi Parupu Sambar

This pasi parupu sambar is the best side dish for dosa and idli. It can also be served with rice.

Ingredients:

Tamarind – small lemon size

Thick butter milk(slightly sour) – 150 ml or 1 glass

Ladies finger – cut into 1 inch pieces

Mustard – 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves – to garnish

Salt – to taste

For Masala:

Dry Red chillies – 6

Urad dhal – 2 tablespoon

Fenugreek – 1 tsp

Asafoetida – a pinch

Grated coconunt – 1/2 cup

coconut oil – 2 tsp

Method:

1. Take a tawa, heat 1 tsp coconut oil and fry the masala ingredients except coconut.

2. Allow it to cool and get them grinded along with coconut adding little water.

3. Extract thick juice from tamarind adding little water.

4. Take a thick bottomed vessel and add the tamarind juice and salt and allow it to boil.

5. Now add the ladies finger and allow it to cook.

6. When half cooked, add the paste and stir well.

7. After 5 mins, add the butter milk and boil for just 4-5 mins and turn off the stove.

8. Heat 1 tsp coconut oil and add mustard and curry leaves and season it over the prepared kuzhambu.

Puli Kuzhambu

This is a traditional recipe that goes very well when served with parupu usili, chepan kizhangu fry and vazhaikai poriyal.

During Sri Ganesh Chaturthi, we also prepare this Kondai Kadalai or channa or garbanzo beans sundal and offer it to God.

Ingredients:

Kondai Kadalai or Garbanzo beans or channa (white) – 1 cup

Coconut scrapings – 3 tsp

Mustard – 1/2 tsp

Oil – 1 tsp

Red chilli – 2 – 3

Curry and coriander leaves – to garnish

Salt – as required

Method:

1. Wash and soak the channa or kondai kadalai in water overnight.

2. Steam cook it adding water and salt.

3. Now take a tawa, heat oil and add mustard and allow it to pop.

4. Now add the red chilli and curry and coriander leaves.

5. Add the cooked kondai kadalai or channa and mix well.

6. Finally add the coconut scrapings and turn off the stove.

Channa or kondai kadalai sundal

Kondai kadalai sundal or Channa sundal is ready.

Kozhukattai or Moodak Recipe is the special dish for Ganesh Chaturthi

Ingredients:

Rice flour – 2 cup

Water – 1 1/2 cup

Cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp

Coconut – 1 cup

Jaggery – 1/2 cup

oil – 2 tsp

Method:

1. Take little water in a tawa, heat it and add the powdered jagerry.

2. Once jaggery melts and add the coconut and mix well.

3. When it thickens add cardamom powder and turn off the stove.

Poornam or the sweet stuffing is ready.

4. Heat 1 1/2 cup water and add a pinch of salt and 2 tsp oil to it.

5. When water starts boiling, add the rice flour and mix well.

6. Allow the recently mixed rice flour to cool down a bit and start making small cups  and fill the poornam inside and close the corners.

Note: You can either close it sidewise or in the top. Just check out both ways in the pics.

Kozhukattai closed side-wise

Moodak (closed at the top) specially for Ganesh Chaturthi

7. Steam cook the prepared kozhukattai for min 7-10 mins and kozhukattai is ready.