Nenthrappazha payasam (ഏത്തപ്പഴപ്പായസം), one of traditional Kerala dessert with banana, is an exquisite delicacy filled with the natural taste of plantains. This authentic Kerala Banana Pudding preparation makes use of ripped plantains blended with jaggery and served as dessert with Sadya (Kerala Feast) on festival occasions and celebrations!

Ingredients

1. നേന്ത്രപഴം  /ഏത്തപ്പഴം/plantain  : 3(big)
2. Jaggery/ശർക്കര                         : 1lb (Adjust)
3. Water for jaggery                           : 1.5 Cup
4. Ghee                                                     : ¼ Cup(Adjust)
5. Thin coconut milk                           : 7 Cup
6. Thick coconut milk                         : 2 cup
7. Chovvery/sabudana (tapioca pearls) : ¼ Cup
8. Water for chovvery                        : 1 Cup
9. Cardamom powder                         : ½ T- Sp
10. Ginger powder/ചുക്ക് പൊടി : A big pinch
11. Jeera powder                                    : A big pinch
12. Coconut slices                                   : ¼ Cup
13. Cashews & Raisins                          : ¼ cup together
14. Ghee for frying                                 : 2 tbl- Sp

Method

• Soak the chovvery in the water mentioned for about half an hour and cook it until soft.
• In a sauce pan, add the water mentioned for jaggery (1.5 cup) and boil it till the jaggery dissolves completely.
• Filter it and keep it for later use.
• Slice the nendrapazham (see the pic) and keep it.
• In a pan/kadai heat 2 tbl- Sp of ghee and sauté the nendrapaham until soft and partially smushy (not completely smushy leave some chunks ).
• Pour the jaggery syrup into the smashed plantain and stir it; add ghee in regular intervals and stir it until the jaggery syrup and plantain blend nicely and the syrup completely coated into the plantain.
• Then add the thin coconut milk and let it boil; then add the cooked chovvery.
• Wait for it to cook until the payasam in medium thick consistency.
• Now dilute ginger powder, cardamom powder and jeera powder in 2 tbl- sp of thick coconut milk and add it to the payasam.
• Then add the thick coconut milk and heat it, do not boil it.
• Heat 2 Tbl- Sp of ghee and fry the coconut slices and fry it till brown; then remove the coconut and fry cashews and raisins.
• Add the fried items into the payasam and mix it together.

Tips :-

• Use ripped plantain, adjust the jaggery quantity if the plantain are not sweet enough to your taste.
• This is a medium consistency pradhaman .