Palada Payasam is a Kerala style Onam Sadya special payasam. Palada Payasam also known as Palada Pradhaman is a creamy decadent payasam made using ada(rice flakes), milk and sugar as main ingredients. Learn to make perfect Palada Payasam with step by step pictures and video.
Palada Payasam is a divinely delicious dessert popular in Kerala. It is made by cooking ada or rice flakes in milk, sugar flavored with cardamom powder and garnished with nuts. Palada Pradhaman is made for special occasions like Onam, New Year, Anniversary, Birthdays, etc.
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About Palada Payasam
Palada Payasam is a creamy dessert made by cooking ada / rice flakes with milk and sugar. Palada Payasam is a special payasam made as an integral part of Onam Sadya menu. This is the most popular payasam in Kerala and made for festivals and special occasions too.
Palada Payasam is served traditionally in Kerala temples. It is famous for its beautiful pink hue also known as pink palada payasam. I wanted to recreate the exact taste og palada payasam I tasted in Guruvayoor temple and this one came very close to it and yes that justifies the post.
The traditional method of palada payasam making involves cooking milk for a long time to get the creamy texture and adding caramel to get the perfect color. I made it in uruli just like the way they cook in temples and it gives such a divine taste. However any thick bottomed cookware can be used to make this payasam.
Palada Payasam is a must try at home for its taste and alternate to the regular routine payasam. My family loves this palada payasam so I make it often other than for festivals and special occasions.
Kerala Style Palada Payasam Video
Palada Payasam is made using just 3 main ingredients rice ada or rice flakes, full cream milk and sugar. Additionally cashews, ghee and cardamom powder can be added. But the traditional version served in temples is with just milk, ada and sugar.
Time and patience is the key for a perfect palada payasam. I have made this payasam so many times with caramel and without caramel, My family loves my palada payasam so much that I make it often with store bought ada.
Palada Payasam reminds of the college days when we used to drink this payasam in bottles from our mallu friends. They used to bring ada pradhaman and palada payasam even before onam for our sake - good old memories and days!
Palada Payasam Ingredients
- Ada (Rice flakes) - You can use homemade rice flakes or store bought ada. It comes in 2 varieties big and small. You can use it according to your preference.
- Milk - Use full cream milk for best results as milk is one of the main ingredient.
- Sugar - Use granulated white sugar. Sugar is added in payasam and to make caramel.
Traditional Palada Pradhaman
Traditionally palada payasam is cooked in uruli and the payasam attains pink hue by adding caramel. Caramel is prepared by adding little sugar and cooking it with water until reddish brown.This caramel when added to the payasam leaves a slight hint of beautiful pink hue to the payasam.
Caramel not only color to the payasam it also adds taste and flavor. I learnt this trick of adding caramel from my friend. This tricks helps to get the perfect temple style payasam.
Uruli is a special cookware popular in Kerala for making payasam, halwa, aviyal etc. It is heavy bottomed and made using bronze. I bought this years back specially to make Kerala dishes.
Similar Recipes
Palada Payasam 2 ways
I have shared 2 ways of making palada payasam :
- With caramel - This is the traditional method of making palada payasam as in temples and restaurants. Adding caramel is an extra step making the payasam tasty.
- Without caramel - Palada payasam made without caramel is ivory in color, this tastes good too. I added ghee fried cashews and cardamom powder to this payasam.
Variations
Traditionally palada payasam is made using milk, sugar and ada. But as a variation you can add ghee, ghee fried cashews and garnish it. You can flavor the payasam with cardamom powder too.
This is the version without adding caramel and with ghee, nuts and cardamom powder.
How to make Palada Payasam Step by Step
With caramel
1.Rinse ½ cup ada in water first.
2.Boil 2 cups water. Switch off and remove from flame.
3.Add rinsed ada to it and set aside for 15 minutes.
4.Transfer to a strainer. Rinse it with water to avoid further cooking.
5.It should only be slightly soft as it will again get cooked with the jaggery syrup and coconut milk. It should not be too mushy.
6.To a pot add 1 liter full cream milk.
7.Let it come to a boil. Mix well and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
8.Add ½ cup sugar.
9.Mix it well.
10.Let it boil in low medium flame.
11.Let it reduce to almost half. It will take at least 45 minutes in low flame.
12.Now add ada.
13.Mix it well.
14.Simmer until thick and creamy. It may take around 20 minutes.
15.Now the ada is cooked, consistency is creamy. It may thicken after cooling down also so switch off when it is slightly creamy itself.
16.To a sauce pan add 2 tablespoon sugar. Let it start to melt.
17.It starts to melt.
18.Start mixing once it starts to melt. Keep stirring until it turns to golden brown in color.
19.Add ¼ cup water.
20.It will solidify here and there. Keep stirring it will dissolve. Switch off. Caramel syrup is ready!
21.Add this caramel syrup to the boiling payasam.
22.Mix it well, simmer for 2 minutes and switch off.
23.Perfect palada payasam is ready!
Without Caramel
1.Boil ½ liter milk and simmer for few minutes.
2.Meanwhile rinse ada well and soak it in hot water for minimum 30 minutes.
3.Drain water and set aside.
4.Now add ¼ cup sugar to boiling milk. Simmer for 15 minutes.
5.Now add ada.
6.Cook until thick and creamy. It will take around 15 minutes.
7.Add ⅛ teaspoon cardamom powder.
8.Switch off in semi runny consistency as it thickens after it cools.
9.Heat 1 tablespoon ghee - add 1 tablespoon broken cashews and fry until golden brown. Switch off and remove.
10.Add fried cashews to the payasam. Mix it well.
Palada payasam is ready!
Expert Tips
- Rice ada should be ¾th cooked when soaked in hot water and the remaining will get cooked in milk.
- Make sure to use full cream milk for best results. You can use packed milk or farm fresh milk.
- Do not keep flame in high always cook in low or low medium.
- Take care not to burn at the bottom so stir often.
- Use thick bottomed vessel to make this payasam as it simmers for a long time.
- This payasam tends to thicken with time, add hot milk at the time of serving.
- You can serve it warm or cold - I love it cold.
Serving & Storage
Palada Payasam can be served as such or with papadam. Enjoy Palada Payasam as a dessert after meal hot or cold as per your preference. Refrigerate for later use within next day.
FAQS
1.What is the difference between Ada Pradhaman and Palada Payasam?
Ada Pradhaman is made using ada, coconut milk and jaggery while Palada Payasam is made using ada, milk and sugar which is the main difference.
2.Adding caramel does it make a difference?
Yes it does add a beautiful color to the payasam as in temples also gives a great taste and flavor to the payasam so I recommend adding it if you are looking for the authentic taste.
3.What is the difference between Pradhaman and Payasam?
Pradhaman is made using coconut milk and jaggery while payasam is made with sugar and milk. But payasam can be made using jaggery also.
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📖 Recipe Card
Palada Payasam Recipe
Ingredients
With caramel
- 1 litre milk
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup ada
- For making caramel
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ cup water
Without caramel
- ½ liter milk
- ¼ cup ada
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1 tablespoon broken cashews
Instructions
With caramel
- Rinse ½ cup ada in water first.
- Boil 2 cups water. Switch off and remove from flame.
- Add rinsed ada to it and set aside for 15 minutes.
- Transfer to a strainer. Rinse it with water to avoid further cooking.
- It should only be slightly soft as it will again get cooked with the jaggery syrup and coconut milk. It should not be too mushy.
- To a pot add 1 liter full cream milk.
- Let it come to a boil. Mix well and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add ½ cup sugar.
- Mix it well.
- Let it boil in low medium flame.
- Let it reduce to almost half. It will take at least 45 minutes.
- Now add ada.
- Mix it well.
- Simmer until thick and creamy. It may take around 20 minutes.
- Now the consistency is creamy. It may thicken after cooling down also so switch off when it is slightly creamy itself.
- To a sauce pan add 2 tablespoon sugar. Let it start to melt.
- It starts to melt.
- Start mixing once it starts to melt. Keep stirring until it turns to golden in color.
- Add ¼ cup water.
- It will solidify here and there. Keep stirring it will dissolve. Switch off. Caramel syrup is ready!
- Add this caramel syrup to the boiling payasam.
- Mix it well, simmer for 2 minutes and switch off.
- Perfect palada payasam is ready!
Without Caramel
- Boil ½ liter milk and simmer for few minutes.
- Meanwhile rinse ada well and soak it in hot water for minimum 30 minutes.
- Drain water and set aside.
- Now add ¼ cup sugar to boiling milk. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Now add ada.
- Cook until thick and creamy. It will take around 15 minutes.
- Switch off in semi runny consistency as it thickens after it cools.
- Add ⅛ teaspoon cardamom powder.
- Heat 1 tablespoon ghee - add 1 tablespoon broken cashews and fry until golden brown. Switch off and remove.
- Add fried cashews to the payasam. Mix it well.
- Palada payasam is ready!
Sudha
Which brands Ada is good for this payasam
Sharmilee J
You can try nirapara or double horse
Vandana
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I am making it for this year’s Onam. I had a questions - to make it for 20 people, do the ingredients increase by 4 or does anything need to be balanced as it scales in quantity?
Sharmilee J
You can check the recipe card for option to increase the serving, just give the serving number and the recipe automatically changes accordingly. Hope this helps!