Monday, November 5, 2012

Appi Payasa | Fried cream of wheat kheer

I have some distinct memories associated with some dishes. From the time I can remember, I always fascinated cooking but never took the initiation to cook, until I had no other choice! During my teenage days, whenever I got a chance to attend the weddings, upanayanam or any family functions, I used to venture into the kitchen. I used to talk to the cook & get to know the recipe of a dish with a fancy name!! I have been doing this till date. The only difference is, now I try to write down the recipe.

Appi payasa/payasam is one such dish learnt during a conversation with one of the cooks. Here is how "appi payasa" is made. A tight dough is made with cream of wheat. They are rolled & deep fried in ghee like pooris(Deep fried Indian bread). These pooris are crushed & added to the milk.

Though I don't have a sweet tooth, this is one of the kheer/payasam to which I can never say "no". Absolute delish!! It is also known as happala karda payasa (Thanks to blogger world!).


Preparation Time: 30 mins
Cooking Time: 15-20 mins

Ingredients: (Serves 4-6)
For the happala/flat poori:

  • Cream of wheat/Chiroti Rava/Fine rava: 1 cup
  • Cold water: Less than 1/4th cup
  • Ghee/Clarified butter: 2 tsp
  • Salt: a small pinch
  • Ghee/Oil: As needed, for deep frying the pooris


For the payasa/kheer:

  • Full cream milk: 1.5 litres
  • Sugar: Around 3/4th cup, adjust according to your family needs
  • Chopped dry fruits: 2 tbsp (I used almonds, cashews & pistachios)
  • Saffron: a big pinch



Method:
Mix the cream of wheat, salt & ghee together.
Slowly add the cold water & make a stiff dough. Cover the dough & let it rest for at least a couple of hours. More the better...
Once the dough is well rested, divide the dough into big grape sized balls. I got 7 dough balls.
Dust a very little flour & roll it thin using a rolling pin. (just like a poori). 
Heat the ghee/oil on a medium heat. When ghee is hot, deep fry the pooris on both the sides until golden brown. Remove it on a paper towel to remove the excess ghee from the fried pooris. Repeat with the remaining pooris. Let it cool.

Meantime, boil the milk on a med-high heat. Keep stirring in between. When the milk starts boiling, reduce the heat.
Add sugar & allow the sugar to dissolve. 
When the sugar is dissolved, crush the saffron in between your palm & add it to the milk. 
Crush or roughly tear the cooled pooris & slide them onto the boiling milk. Add the chopped nuts.

Turn off the heat & let the payasam cool completely.
Once cool, mash the crushed pooris gently. 

You could serve this payasam, warm or cold. 
I generally warm it again & serve as my family prefers it that way!


Notes:

  • It is very important to make a stiff dough to ensure crunchy pooris. Soft dough will absorb more ghee & become soggy.
  • The more you rest the dough, the more elastic it becomes. It will be easier to handle a well rested dough. (You can see little cracks on the edges of my poori. That is because I did not rest the dough! Do not do that)
  • Roll the pooris very thin. Thin pooris wont puff up & become soft. They will become crunchy!
  • If your poori is still puffing up, gently prick it in 4-5 places with a tooth pick before frying them.
  • This is unlike other kheer that demands milk quantity to be reduced by boiling. The crushed pooris will absorb the milk & the kheer/payasam thickens gradually. 

9 comments:

  1. Quite a new kheer for me, simply inviting.

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  2. I love appi payasa..looks delicious sush

    ReplyDelete
  3. sounds new to me...
    looks delicious :)

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  4. I love this..Never tried it at home but always enjoy this payasam at family feasts..Looks super delicious..
    Prathima Rao
    Prats corner

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is new to me, but looks good

    ReplyDelete
  6. last night's dinner was all savi-ruchi including this fav. payasa of mine. It came out exactly as you mentioned. Other things we tried were the palak panneer & palak poori. Everything was perfect.

    Hope i win the gridde.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I just love appi payasam. Will try it soon

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  8. I love appi payasam. Will surely try it today.

    ReplyDelete

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