Dates and Banana payasam in coconut milk

This payasam/sweet/dessert is made using all natural sweeteners. Its easy to make , healthy and delicious and my kids relished it as their evening drink, following is the recipe for the same.

1.Pitted dates- 20
   Ripe Kerala banana ( Nendrapazham)- 2
   Water 1/2 cup
2.Grated coconut - 2 cups
   Hot water -1 cup
3.Cardamom powder - a pinch
   Cashew nuts - 2 tspn
   Ghee/clarified butter- 2 tspn

Pressure cook pitted dates and chopped bananas in half cup of water for 2 whistles or until it is cooked.
Remove the milk from the grated coconut using hot water in a blender and keep aside
Mash or blend the cooked dates and banana mixture and add the coconut milk and cook until the milk boils or bubbles.
Remove from flame, add a pinch of cardamom powder and fry cashew nuts in ghee/clarified butter and garnish over the payasam.

Note: Hope you would have noticed that I have not used any sugar or jaggery , all the sweetness comes from the dates, so if you want the payasam more sweet , please feel free to add more dates.

Serve hot or cold and enjoy!

Eggless dates cake

Date cake- Eggless

Ingredients:
18 dates
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oil
1 tea spn baking soda
1 tbl spn any nuts ( optional)


Method:
Soak the dates in warm milk overnight or just heat milk and dates for few minutes or microwave them so that dates becomes soft and help in grinding. Remove the seeds. Add sugar and grind them to a smooth paste along with the milk in which it is soaked in. Add oil and mix.
Sieve together flour and baking soda. Add the flour one table spoon at a time and mix slowly. Add the nuts and mix.
Preheat the oven at 350F. Bake the cake in a greased oven proof dish for 35-40min (or till a knife inserted in the cake comes out clean). 


Note : This cake was done in my convection microwave those days , will take a proper picture when I bake this yummy cake n my OTG next time .