Palada Payasam (Palada Pradhaman)

Rice ada is roasted and boiled in milk, sugar and flavored with cardamom. Rice ada looks like small pasta chunks and made of rice flour.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Indian, kerala

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 50

Servings people

Calories 435kcal

Wash and drain the rice ada. Place the drained rice ada in a bowl and fill it up with enough hot boiling water. Immerse the ada properly in the water. Close the container with a lid and leave it aside for 20 minutes. Then, Drain and run some cold water over it to stop it sticking.

I have tried both ways, by roasting ada and by not roasting ada. I could find the difference well. By roasting ada, it won't stick to each other. So highly recommend not to skip that step.
For roasting ada, I prefer to use a heavy-bottomed pan. Heat a heavy-bottomed pan on a medium flame and add 1 tablespoon of ghee.
Now add the drained ada and roast for around 7 minutes in medium flame. Stir it continuously. Switch it off.

I cooked the palada in an instant pot. (Refer notes section for regular pressure cooker preparation). Add the milk and ¾ cup sugar into Instant Pot. Switch on Instant Pot on SAUTE mode MORE setting. Boil the milk until rolling boil.
Add the roasted ada into boiling milk. Close the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to SEAL and cook on MANUAL LOW-PRESSURE setting for 2 minutes. Refer the notes on time setting.
Once the timer goes off, either do a NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE or a QUICK PRESSURE RELEASE after 10 minutes. Refer notes for instructions on the natural and quick release.
Rice ada would have cooked by this time. Switch the Instant Pot to SAUTE mode NORMAL setting. Check out the sugar in the payasam/kheer and add more according to the sweetness you need. Boil till it thickens and has desired consistency. Add cardamom powder and mix well.

Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in the same pan used for roasting ada. Roast cashews and then the raisins. Garnish the payasam with the roasted nuts and raisins. Enjoy :)

Instant Pot SAUTE mode setting: You can vary the temperature of the SAUTE mode by using the ADJUST button to cycle through the modes of LESS, NORMAL, and MORE. This is equivalent to low, medium and high heat. Note that the temperature mode must be adjusted within 10 seconds of pressing the SAUTE button. If you want to change the heat setting of SAUTE mode from HIGH temperature to LOW temperature, CANCEL the current SAUTE function. Then program again on SAUTE mode LOW setting. Be cautious, in SAUTE mode, you are not supposed to use Instant Pot lid.
Instant Pot Natural & Quick Pressure Release - For natural pressure release, allow the float valve to drop off without doing anything. It would take some time, around 20 minutes or so. For quick pressure release, once the timer goes off, leave it as it is for 10 minutes. Then turn the valve from sealing to venting and allow the steam to release the pressure until the float valve drops off.
Regular Pressure Cooker Method:
Add the milk and sugar into Pressure Cooker. Boil the milk.
Add the roasted ada into boiling milk. Close the pressure cooker lid and cook up to 1 whistle.
Once the pressure is gone, open the lid and simmer till it thickens and has desired consistency. I would wait until it turns a pale pink color. Add cardamom powder and mix well.