Quick Onam Recipes To Tickle Your Nostalgia
Image Credit: Paal Payasam

Onam is a festival that is celebrated by Malayalis across the globe with variety of tasty foods, festive décor, and fun activities. Onam is an extravagant festival and the elaborate feasts play a huge role in the celebrations not only in Kerala but across the world! Having said that, some of the citizens who are away from Kerala and still want to celebrate the festivities with some nostalgia, here are some mouth-watering traditional recipes that can be made using Voltas Beko Microwave oven and Refrigerators. These will take minimum time and bring back those memories that you shared with your family during the festival. 

Sarkara varatti – For a quick snack with your family!


Serves: 4-5, Duration: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 4 Raw green bananas 
  • 1 cup jaggery
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 10-12 green cardamom
  • 2 tbsp dry ginger powder
  • Coconut oil

Steps:

  • Peel and cut the bananas into ¼ inch thick pieces, in shape of a moon 
  • Place a single batch of banana chunks on a microwave-safe plate and put it in the Voltas Beko microwave oven which has a large turntable and helps you maximise the cooking space
  • On high, microwave for one minute. The banana will start to soften and release moisture
  • Carefully flip each piece over, then season with salt, ground cumin, dry ginger powder
  • Microwave for 2 more minutes on high, pausing after the first minute and then restarting. The chips will be crisp and finished at this point. If not, wait another 30 or so seconds. You can keep an eye on the food with Voltas Beko’s advanced feather touch digital display.
  • Take it out in a serving bowl and serve immediately.

Paal Payasam – A dessert that you can enjoy with your friends and family!

Serves: 3-4, Duration: 1 hour

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoon basmati rice 
  • 4 tablespoon sugar 
  • 1 litre milk
  • 4 pods of green cardamom
  • 1 tablespoon Ghee (clarified butter)
  • 10-12 cashew and almonds for garnishing

Instructions 

  • Rice should be rinsed and drained and soaked for at least 20 minutes. Once soaked, add the rice to a food processor to break the grains.
  • Take the milk in a bowl and microwave for 2 minutes.
  • Remove and mix the broken, soaked rice with the heated milk in the Voltas Beko microwave for another 8 minutes, uncovere and stir every 2 minutes.
  • Remove the bowl, then whisk in the sugar, green cardamom powder, cashews and almonds.
  • Cool it for 10 minutes and keep it in your Voltas Beko refrigerator for 1 hour which that will help you create the ideal condition for your payasam to cool and keep the taste intact!
  • Take it out and enjoy a traditional dessert with your fam!

Avial – Without which your Sadya is incomplete


Serves: 2-3, Duration: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

For vegetable-

  • 100g chopped carrot, beans, brinjal, potato, cauliflower, each
  • 50g chopped bottle gourd and drumstick, each

For paste-

•    ½ coconut, grated

•    4-5 green chillies

For tempering- 

•    200g beaten curd

•    1-2 dry red chillies

•    1tsp mustard seeds

•    5-6 curry leaves

•    Chilli powder and salt as per taste

•    1tbsp oil

Steps:

•    Make a paste with green chilies and coconut. 

•    Wash and roughly cut each vegetable into 1-inch pieces. 

•    Microwave the veggies in half cup of water for 10 minutes

•    Add in the coconut and chilli paste, salt, to the microwaved vegetables and microwave for 6 minutes 

•    Heat the oil for 30 seconds and add in the dry red chillies, curry leaves and mustard seeds and microwave for 2 minutes.

•    Pour the tempered oil on the vegetables and microwave for another 2-3 minutes.

•    Allow it to stand for 5 minutes and serve with rice or pooris.