May 11, 2009

Vella Payar ~ Cowpeas cooked with jaggery



Vella payar brings back nostalgic memories. The first thing that comes to my mind is Navarathri days. This will be invariably prepared as prasadom on one of the nine days. On other festive occasions too, Amma used to prepare this. One day while I was reliving those memories with my husband, I could not resist the temptation to make it immediately. These cow peas are the kind which does not need much of pre-soaking. I soaked them for half an hour in hot water for easier cooking. There are two varieties of black eyed peas - white and brown. Usually brown variety is used for this. I too have used the same.



Ingredients

Black eyed peas/cowpeas/vellapayar/karamani - 1 1/2 Cup cooked

Jaggery - 1/2 cup

Water - 3 Tblspn (just enough to melt the jaggery)

Grated coconut - 3 tblspn

Ghee - 1 tspn (optional)

I pressure cooked the cow peas. Cow peas can be well cooked. Even if turns mushy, its alright. Since on adding to jaggery, they tend to turn hard. Heat a pan. Add jaggery and water. When jaggery is fully melted, switch off the stove. Strain the syrup to remove any impurities. Heat the strained syrup to soft ball consistency. Stir in cooked cow peas. Keep stirring till there is no moisture . Amma says you can find a coat of grey to the cooked mix and that's the indication to stop. Garnish with grated coconut and teaspoon of ghee. Ghee surely adds a flavor to it. And for neivadyams, it is customary to add a drop of ghee to the dish.


With small quantity, it doesn't take more than 10-15 minutes to get cooked in jaggery. But when making in large quantities, it surely is a test to your muscle strength since it needs a longer period of stirring, to avoid getting burnt at the bottom.



I am sending this bowl of sweet to Srivalli's Mithai Mela.


18 comments:

  1. Looking to that pic i can taste the jaggery and the coconut in them.

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  2. IS that sweet sundal! Very different sweet :)

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  3. Never had sweet payar. Seems very interesting.

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  4. Cowpeas and jaggery thats new to me... Looks great and sounds healthy too...

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  5. i have tried only with pacha payar..wih black eyed bean is somehing really new..looks so good..

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  6. Never had something like this..new to me..

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  7. New to me too..Looks delicious and sounds healthy too :)

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  8. seems like a really easy recipe.. i dont normally make indian sweets.. but this one seems easy enuf to motivate me to try..

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  9. SO healthy ,both payar and jaggery.. should really taste good i will try it out.

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  10. same here..the first thing i though about when i saw this was navrathri!! love this preperation!

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  11. I love sweet sundal much but never tried with cow peas, my mom do with green mung bean, looks very delicious!

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  12. Its new to me..Looks divine..

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  13. I too make this always during Navaratri :-))

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  14. love tis prepartion...sweet sundal...

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  15. This is new to me,sounds interesting..looks yummy!!

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  16. Jayasree, do send in the pickle for the event.

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  17. Brings back Navarathri for me too. I still remember collecting all the packets of prasadam form the houses visietd and my grandfather asking me, "Innakki ennallaam panniyirikka?" :D

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