Ada Pradhaman

Ada Pradhaman is more than just a dessert for me – it’s an emotion. It’s a dish that brings back memories of grand Sadyas, Onam celebrations, weddings, and temple feasts. The rich, golden color, the deep aroma of jaggery and ghee, the soft bite of ada, and the creamy sweetness of coconut milk – it all comes together to create something truly divine. Among all the payasams I’ve grown up eating, this one holds a special place in my heart.

What makes this version of Ada Pradhaman even more meaningful to me is that I prepare the ada from scratch, the traditional way – using soaked raw rice, spread into thin sheets, steamed, and then chopped into tiny squares. No shortcuts. No store-bought ada. Just the old-fashioned method, full of care and patience.

There’s something deeply satisfying about this process. The soaking of the rice, grinding it smooth, spreading the batter into thin layers, and steaming it to get soft, translucent ada – it takes time, but it’s worth every minute. You feel connected to tradition, to the way our mothers and grandmothers made payasam on special occasions.

Once the ada is ready, it’s gently simmered in jaggery syrup – dark, rich, and full of depth – before being combined with thick coconut milk. The smell that fills the kitchen when the jaggery and coconut milk come together is unforgettable. A final touch of ghee-roasted coconut bits, cashews, and a pinch of cardamom adds that beautiful finishing layer of flavor.

This is the payasam we make for Onam, Vishu, weddings, and temple offerings. It’s not just sweet – it’s ceremonial. It’s festive. It carries the mood of celebration in every spoonful.

Making ada from scratch might seem time-consuming today, especially when ready-made ada is available in most stores. But for me, this traditional method makes the dish taste better. There’s something soulful about eating a payasam you’ve built from the ground up – from raw rice to final drizzle of ghee.

Ada Pradhaman is creamy, slightly nutty from the coconut, and rich with jaggery – not overly sweet, but perfectly balanced. And the homemade ada – soft yet chewy – makes it unforgettable.

If you’ve only had ada pradhaman made with store-bought ada, I invite you to try this method just once. There’s a difference you can taste – and feel. And once you do, it might become your favorite too, just like it is mine.

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Ada Pradhaman

Author: Ushadevi Cooking Method: Boiling Cuisine: Kerala Courses: Sweets & Desserts

Prep Time 3 hrs Cook Time 30 mins Total Time 3 hrs 30 mins

Servings: 8

Best Season: Suitable throughout the year

Description

Ada Pradhaman (also known as Ada Payasam) is a beloved dessert in Kerala, typically made on special occasions such as Onam, Vishu, birthdays, weddings, and other celebrations. Here, we are preparing Ada Pradhaman in the traditional way — without using store-bought ada (rice flakes), but by making fresh ada at home. Let’s begin!

Ingredients

Scale

1/2x 1x 2x 3x

• 1 ¹⁄₂ cup Raw Rice (Unakalari / Pachari)
• 4 teaspoon 4+2+2 Ghee/ Coconut oil
• 250 gm Jaggery
• 6 cup Grated Coconut
• 1 teaspoon Cardamom powder
• ¹⁄₄ cup Coconut Strips

Instructions

1. Preparing Homemade Ada

   Soak raw rice for about 2–3 hours.
2. Drain the water and grind the rice into a fine powder using a mixer grinder.
3. Sieve the powder to remove any coarse particles.
4. Add 2 teaspoons of ghee (or coconut oil if ghee is not available) and enough water to make a thin, flowing batter.
5. Prepare small pieces of banana leaf by lightly wilting them over an open flame (ila vattal) to make them pliable.
6. Pour a teaspoon of batter onto each leaf, spread it evenly, then roll the leaf and tie both ends loosely (just enough to prevent it from opening while cooking).
7. Boil water in a large vessel. Add the rolled banana leaves and cook for about 10–15 minutes.
8. Allow them to cool slightly. Open the rolls, remove the cooked ada from the leaves.
   If you used coconut oil, rinse the ada two or more times in water to remove any excess oil.

1. Our fresh ada is ready!

2. Preparing Coconut Milk

   Preparing Coconut Milk; Coconut milk is prepared in three stages based on thickness: Onnam Pal / Thala Pal – First milk (thickest), Randaam Pal – Second milk, Moonam Pal – Third milk (lightest)
3. How to extract: Add hot water to grated coconut and grind it in a mixer.
4. Squeeze and strain – this is the First milk (Onnam Pal).
5. Repeat the process with the same coconut – this gives the Second milk (Randaam Pal).
6. Repeat once more for the Third milk (Moonam Pal).

7. Making Ada Pradhaman

   Melt jaggery with a little water.
8. Strain the syrup to remove impurities and heat it again.
9. Add the prepared ada to the jaggery syrup and stir continuously.
10. When the mixture begins to thicken, add 4 teaspoons of ghee.
11. Now add the third milk (Moonam Pal) and stir well.
12. As the mixture thickens again, add the second milk (Randaam Pal) and continue stirring.
13. Finally, mix first milk (Onnam Pal) with a little cardamom powder and add it to the pradhaman once the mixture is thick.
14. Immediately turn off the flame and remove from the stove. Do not boil after adding the first milk.
15. In a small pan, heat some ghee.
16. Fry thin coconut strips (thenga kothu) until golden.
17. Add the fried coconut to the pradhaman.

Note

If you want to store the ada for later use, sun-dry it or use a dehydrator to remove all moisture. Store in an airtight container. Before using, soak it in hot water to soften.