The choice for 'E' was this easy dessert from the region I am now staying in. The moment I made the list, this was decided and did not change it even though all the other alphabets underwent multiple changes over the month's of planning and prepping.
E- Elaneer Payasam
Theme - Regional / Kongunad
I have already written about the famous Kongunad region and its cuisine, but here is a gist...
Kongunad is the homeland of the Tamilians and dates back to the 8th centuary AD.It comprised of Palani, Dharapuram, Karur, Namakkal, Thiruchengodu, Erode,Selam,Dharmapuri, Coimbatore, Avinasi, Nilgiris,Pollachi and Udumalpet [All these places are in Tamilnadu-South India]
Before I start off with the recipe,a word about the lesser-known freedom fighters from the kongu soil.
Two brave men - Theeran Chinnamalai and Tiruppur Kumaran have given their share to the freedom struggle.
Kongunadu cuisine is extensive for the simple reason that kongunadu covers a vast area.
This cuisine does not involve marinating and has its own nativity and style.The use of turmeric,groundnut paste to curries give it a unique texture and flavor.This is a very healthy cuisine owing to the use of millets, pulses, sesame and less amounts of oil and spices.
Some of the delicacies include
I have already written a post on a Kongunad lunch menu and a breakfast thali.. So here is the dessert that I have been wanting to put up for a long time..
This simple dessert makes use of tender coconut water, tender coconut pulp and coconut milk....
Tender coconut water is actually the liquid endosperm . It is a nutritious and wholesome beverage that comes straight from nature. It is low in calories - 17.4 /100 grams.
It has a numerous health benefits. Some of them are listed here...
- It keeps the body cool
- Improves digestion.
- Quick source of energy
- Promotes the healthy functioning of Thyroid gland
- It is an effective oral re-hydration liquid.
- It has some organic compounds that promotes growth
- Application of tender coconut water on the skin prevents prickly heat rashes, summer boils and subsides the rashes / boils caused by chicken pox measles etc.
- It is said to kill intestinal worms
- It checks urinary infection
- It is an excellent tonic to fight malnutrition
- Maintains the optimal fluid level in the body.
- Diuretic
- Prevents osteoporosis.
- Effective in the treatment of kidney stones
- In emergency cases, tender coconut water is used intravenously.
- It is a urinary antiseptic and eliminates poison in case of mineral poisoning.
Coming to the nutrient side we see that it is
- Low in carbohydrate
- Is 99% fat free
- Low in naturally occurring sugar
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| Lil Dude ready to grab the tender coconut!!! |
I used:
Tender coconut - 1
Coconut milk - 2 cups
Sugar to taste
Condensed milk - 1/8 cup
Charoli seeds / Chironji seeds / Saara paruppu - 1 tablespoon
Ghee- 1 teaspoon
- Open the tender coconut and pour out the tender coconut water into a vessel and keep aside.
- Scoop out the pulp and chop into fine pieces. Take 1/4 part of this pulp and grind to a smooth paste without adding water. This is done to make the kheer thicker and creamier.
- In a large vessel, put in the ground pulp, tender coconut water, coconut milk, condensed milk, sugar , chopped pulp and mix well.
- Heat ghee in a small pan and fry the charoli seeds in batches.
- Pour over the prepared kheer and serve chilled.
This is my method of preparing the kheer. There are versions in which the coconut milk is heated. But I follow this simple method.Also there are versions that add cardamom powder, saffron etc. But I feel these will over powder the dish and the natural tender coconut flavor will be lost.
Take a look at the Blogging Marathon page to check out what my friends are cooking in this A- Z series...
Previously in this series...
A - Azuki Bean Brownies - Baked
B - Butterfly Pea Flower Drink - Misc. / Thai
C - Congyou Bailuobosi - International / Chinese
D - Dates Cake - Eggless / No milk / No butter!!! - Baked
Bon Appetit...
Labels: Blogging Marathon, Kongunadu, No cook recipes, Payasam, Sweet temptations
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