Create pillowy boli, perfect with payasam, for a delightful Onam sadya experience.

The exquisite Onasadya experience is incomplete without the delectable payasam gracing the banana leaf. Down in Southern Kerala, the addition of boli, a soft and airy flatbread, accompanies the milk payasam or paalada payasam. In the districts of Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam, boli becomes a mandatory item for the sadya feast. Let’s delve into the straightforward recipe for crafting the sweet boli, a perfect partner for the payasam.

**Ingredients:**
– 1 cup yellow split gram
– 2 ½ cups water
– 1 cup sugar
– ¼ nutmeg
– 1 tbsp ghee
– ¾ cup all-purpose flour
– A pinch of turmeric powder
– A pinch of salt
– 2 tbsp sesame oil
– Rice powder as required
– Ghee as required

**Preparation:**
1. Begin by washing the yellow split gram thoroughly.
2. Proceed to cook the split gram in a pressure cooker with two and a half cups of water, turning off the flame after four whistles.
3. Once cooled, strain the cooked split gram and grind it without adding water in a small mixer jar.
4. In a bowl, mix together all-purpose flour, turmeric powder, and salt.
5. Add water to form a soft dough and rub sesame oil on it, letting it rest for at least half an hour.
6. During this time, prepare a fine powder of sugar, cardamom, and nutmeg.
7. Transfer the yellow split gram paste and sugar powder to a thick-bottomed vessel and cook well until thoroughly mixed. Adjust the cooking water if the paste is too thick.
8. Introduce 1 tbsp of ghee when the mixture starts separating from the sides of the vessel. Cook until it transforms into a soft blend that can be rolled into the dough.
9. Turn off the flame and allow the mixture to cool down.
10. While working with the yellow gram dough, rub ghee on your palms before scooping lemon-sized balls.
11. Create lemon-sized balls from the all-purpose flour dough as well.
12. Gently press the all-purpose flour balls between your palms and place the yellow gram balls in the center, rolling them into larger balls.
13. Sprinkle rice flour on a chapati board and roll out the boli into thin flatbreads.
14. Cook the boli on a hot pan, applying ghee on both sides to keep them soft and fluffy.
15. Finally, place the delectable boli on the banana leaf and serve the payasam on top. Mix them harmoniously and savor the delightful blend!

Remember the words of tradition: “Boli is a must for sadya in the Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts,” as you embark on this culinary journey.