Thursday, December 11, 2014
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Thengai Paal Payasam; payasam with coconut milk
Thengai Paal Payasam
Boiling Milk |
My mother is
dressed in a nine yards silk saree. Her
hair in damp strands loosely tied in a knot. Fresh kumkum, the smells of
nallennai, turmeric, shikkai and soap mingle in my mind with the aroma of
boiling milk and pacchai karpooram. Her thengai paal payasam (coconut milk
payasam) is the one that I taste as these images float by. I always thought of it as her specialty. All the other smells wafting from the kitchen
of perungaayam and coriander fade in deference to the payasam.
Jaggery |
The festive
lunch that followed the puja was usually served on big banana leaves. She would always save an end leaf (nuni ilai) for me. The hot payasam served from her big, round
stainless steel flange pot was so full of milk and coconut and lentil flavors.
I have never had it made by anyone else in quite the same way. Today, on my father’s birthday, I make this
payasam and I sense their presence with me.
Cardamom and Saffron |
Milk and
payasam are inextricably linked to our cultural memories with religious rites
and festivals. Stories of Sri Krishna playing in Brindavanam mingle in our mind
to the subtle refrain of songs like Ksheerasagara
shayana and Palaale Kaal Alambi and memories
of family weddings and the payasams we were served.
With all
this floating through my mind, I boil three liters of milk. I take care to reduce the heat and stir
constantly lest it scald. As the milk thickens and forms a creamy texture I add
cardamom, saffron and jaggery. I keep
stirring gently and add brown rice and moong dal (paruppu) that I had cooked
together. Gently stir some more. At the
very end I add a handful of mixed dried fruit. My mother would have used golden
raisins. Finally, a full cup and a half
of rich coconut milk is stirred in. The
payasam is now heated gently and taken off the heat before it boils again.
For a more detailed recipe and additional pictures please see http://www.thesimplevegetariancookbook.com/payasam-coconut-milk/
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