Wheat Payasam – Sadya Recipes

Well, well, we are in W, without worries!

And  W was a threat too, till I remembered the payasam made with broken wheat. So Gothambu payasam – Wheat payasam, is the candidate for W.

I wanted to feature the ways in which water is served also. I couldn’t get the pictures ready, so I let it be.

Before the water purifiers entered the kitchens(it hasn’t entered my parents’ house yet), it was boiled water for drinking in most of the houses. And the water won’t be just plain boiled water, we flavor it with different things. If you add a pinch of jeera (cumin seeds), you will get pale yellow colored jeera water.

Barks of some trees are also sold in shops, these look a bit like cinnamon. When boiled with water, these lend beautiful color to the water. A bark called pathimukham gives a pale pink color and with karingali, you get a brownish red shade water. There are ready mix powders as well available in Ayurvedic shops (like daha shamini, kalingali podi) as well.

My mother makes chukku podi at home. She heats dry ginger and pepper (equal weight -25 gms each) and then grinds it as fine as possible (it will still be coarse) and stores in an airtight steel container. I use it as a tea masala as well :D.

My parents’ first job in the kitchen is to boil water with a pinch of this chukku powder. It’s been this way for over 4 decades now.

Anyway, now to the wheat payasam. I made this for the Onasadya. I have used the broken sambar wheat ( I think its called dalia in the North), available in ready made packets. This is a jaggery based payasam with coconut milk.

Ingredients:

• Broken Wheat/ Nurukku Gothambu          :         1/2 cup
• Jaggery, powdered                                              :         1/4 kg
• Coconut milk , thin                                              :        1 1/2 cup
• Coconut milk, thick                                             :        1/2 cup
• Cardamom powder                                              :        1/4 tsp
• Ghee                                                                           :        1 tbsp
• Water

For decorating:

• Ghee                                                                          :          1 tbsp
• Cashews, raisins, thin coconut slices          :         1 tbsp each

Method:

1. Wash the broken wheat. Add 1.5 cups of water and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Wait for the pressure to release.
2.  Meanwhile, powder the jaggery and transfer it to a deep thick bottomed pan. Fill water till its height and cook, stirring continuously. Once the jaggery has melted, take off the heat and pass through a muslin cloth or a fine sieve. This is to remove impurities from it.
3. Bring the jaggery back to a boil in the pan, add the broken wheat, a tablespoon of ghee and let it cook for 3-4 minutes, mixing to make sure that it doesn’t burn.
4. Lower the heat, add thin coconut milk. Cook for another  7-8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the cardamom powder and half a tsp of dry ginger powder too, if you want.
5. If the payasam is too thick, then add a little bit of water, but keep in mind that the thick coconut milk will also be added to this.
6. Add the thick coconut milk, stir well and as soon as it comes to a boil, take off the heat.
7. In a separate pan, heat the ghee and roast the cashews and raisins and coconut pieces till they turn light brown. Add to the payasam and mix well. Done!

This payasam will thicken after sometime of cooking. You can add some warm milk to thin a bit at the time of serving.

Previous Posts:

1. A – Avial, Ada Pradhaman, Achinga Payar – Chena Mezhukkupiratti
2. B – Beetroot Kichadi, Beet root thoran, Beans Thoran
3. C  – Carrot Thoran, Cabbage Thoran
4. D – Daal – Parippu Curry
5. E – Erisseri – Chena & Mathan Vanpayaru
6. F – Fruit Pachadi
7. G – God’s Own Country – Kerala
8. H – How to Serve a Sadya
9. I – Inji Puli
10. J – Jackfruit Payasam – Chakka Payasam
11. K – Kalan & Koottu Curry
12. L – Lemon Rasam
13. M – Mambazha Pulisseri & Mathan Pachadi
14. N – Neer Moru/ButterMilk
15. O – Olan
16. P – Payasam & Pookkalam
17. Q – Quaker Oats Payasam
18. R – Rice and Rasam
19. S – Sambar
20. T – Thenga paal
21. U – Upperi
22. V – Vegetable Cutting
23. W – Wheat Payasam

Logo courtesy : Preeti

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 32