Puliyodarai, Caramel Payasam and more recipes

Culinary expert Chitra Viswanathan shared some interesting recipes made from oats, sugar and rice.

ALSO READ Whoa! This 75-yr-old mami has a cooking app to her name

Chitra Vishwanathan, 75 is a homemaker who is passionate about cooking. 

Her app Chitvish explores both traditional and unconventional recipes made from simple ingredients tried and tested from across the continent.

(Read more about Chitra Viswanathan and her culinary journey here!)

Presenting a list of interesting recipes for you to try on.

Oats and Fruit Parfait: A chilled delight

Serves one

Ingredients

• 4 tsp oats cooked in milk and chilled
• 3 tbsp dry fruits like dates, figs and prunes
• 1/2 cup fresh fruits like papaya, apple, kiwi, banana chopped
• Sugar is added to oats, optionally.

Method

• Soak the dry fruits in just enough water overnight and blend in the morning.
• Arrange in layers alternately as shown in the picture.

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This is my popular recipe!

If you make it once, it is bound to become an all-time favourite in the house!

The flavour is unbelievably good!

Ingredients

• 1 litre milk (preferably full fat)
• 1/4 (heaped) cup thin variety of basmati rice
• 1 cup sugar

Method

• Soak the rice for 15 mins.
• It is preferable to do this in a pressure cooker or a big pressure pan to prevent overflowing of milk.
• Heat the cooker very well on a high flame till it gets really hot.
• Add 1 tbsp of sugar.
• Do not stir.
• It will start caramelising.
• When it becomes dark brown add 1/2 cup of hot water (beware, it will splash!)
• Add milk and the strained rice and mix well.
• When the milk starts boiling well close the cooker and put the weight.
• At once, put the flame on minimum and pressure cook for 25 minutes.
• Do not wait for the pressure whistle -- the milk is likely to overflow.
• Allow the pressure to drop.
• Open and add the sugar and mix well.

• Close again and put the weight.
• Do not put on the flame again.
• Open after at least 15 minutes. Serve warm.
• If you prefer a slightly thicker consistency, pulsate with a hand blender, just 2 to 3 bursts.
• The payasam will be pale pink in colour with a very nice aroma.

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A traditional favourite of mine, the Rava Kesari is cooked in a fool proof method.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup rava
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup ghee
• Few cashewnuts for seasoning
• A pinch of saffron colour or saffron dipped in 1 tsp hot milk
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Method

• In a small pressure cooker, heat ghee and roasted rava and cashews together.
• The cashews turning golden is indication that rava is roasted.
• In another stove, boil a mixture of water, sugar and cardamom powder.
• Simmer the cooker, add the boiling water very carefully, whisking with a long handled ladle to prevent splashing.
• Mix well, close the cooker and keep the weight.

• Switch off the gas and do not disturb.
• Rava absorbs the entire sugar water in the heat and gets cooked.
• No lumpier kesari, no more half-cooked kesari.
• Soft, yummy kesari gliding down your throat!!
• Serve hot or warm.

Tip: Buy good quality rava with well defined grains to get nice grainy kesari.

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This is a lunchbox dish which is always in demand!

Puliyodarai is easily made in a small pressure cooker but can also be made in a heavy saucepan with a tight fitting lid.

Since rice is cooked with puliyodarai paste, this is very tasty, having absorbed the flavour well in cooking.

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice ( soak for 15 mins and drain completely)
• 2 to 2 1/2 cups water
• 2 tbsp puliyodarai paste / puliyogare powder
• 1 tbsp oil
• Salt – very little since puliyodarai paste / puliyogare powder contain salt
• For garnishing
• Cashew nuts, peanuts and curry leaves roasted in 1 tsp oil

Method

• In a pressure cooker, add oil, drained rice, puliyodarai paste /powder and salt.
• Measure and pour the water.
• Close the cooker and keep the weight.
• Cook on medium flame for eight mins or for three whistles.
• Cool, open and fluff up with a fork.
• Garnish and serve hot.

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