AI-generated image
Pesaha paal
Coconut milk and jaggery drink
Pesaha paal: Kerala's warm coconut milk and jaggery drink for Maundy Thursday
Pesaha paal ('Passover milk') is the sweet dip served with Pesaha appam at the Maundy Thursday supper in Kerala's Syrian Christian homes. Coconut milk is simmered with melted jaggery, a little roasted rice flour to thicken it, cardamom and dried ginger until it becomes a warm, silky drink. The family dips pieces of the blessed appam into it after the evening prayers. It is vegan and gluten free, and ready in half an hour. Chef's tip: strain the jaggery syrup before adding the coconut milk, as jaggery often carries grit.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 7 oz jaggerygrated
- ¾ cup water
- 2 ½ cups thin coconut milk
- 2 tbsp roasted rice flourmixed with 4 tbsp water
- ¾ cup thick coconut milk
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp dried ground ginger
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 ripe banana (optional)sliced, optional
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (1)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 2: Add 2 ½ cups thin coconut milk and 1 pinch salt and bring to a gentle simmer.
Step 3: Whisk in 2 tbsp roasted rice flour and simmer, stirring, for 5 minutes, until it thickens slightly to the texture of single cream.
5 minStep 4: Stir in ¾ cup thick coconut milk, ½ tsp ground cardamom and ¼ tsp dried ground ginger and heat through for 2 minutes without boiling. A common mistake is boiling once the thick coconut milk is in, which makes it split.
2 minStep 5: Serve warm in cups or bowls, with 1 ripe banana slices if you like, and pieces of Pesaha appam for dipping.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pesaha paal take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of jaggery?
- Dark brown or muscovado sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of thin coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
SakarpadaSweet fried dough diamonds
Sakarpada (shakarpara) are little sweet diamonds of a rich dough made with ghee, milk and sugar, fried until golden and crunchy. They are a Diwali favourite with tea, and the cubes go into bhusu too. They keep for weeks in an air-tight tin.
Paneer biryaniRice and moong dal in coconut milk
A mild, creamy biryani: rice and husked green gram roasted in ghee, then cooked in coconut milk with peas, carrots, potatoes, peanuts and cashews, and finished with soft fried paneer and a fresh coriander yogurt. Serve hot, garnished with more fried cashews and paneer.
Sabudana khichdiSago with peanuts and potato
Sabudana khichdi is the dish that sees Maharashtra through every vrat (fast), from Navratri to Ekadashi, but it's so good that people eat it any day of the week. Soaked sago pearls are tossed in a pan with crushed roasted peanuts, cubes of potato, cumin and green chilli until each pearl turns glassy and separate, then finished with lemon and coriander. It's soft, chewy, nutty and gently hot. Fasting rules vary from family to family, so check yours; this version uses rock salt and no asafoetida, onion or garlic. Traditionally it's cooked in ghee; use ghee instead of oil if you aren't keeping it vegan. Chef's tip: soak the sago in just enough water to cover by the height of the pearls themselves, no more; too much water is the reason khichdi turns into one sticky lump.
