Payasam

 

This is sweet dish usually served as a dessert after meals at wedding and religious ceremonies.

Ingredients:

Sago 1 cup
Vermicelli ¼ cups
Cashew nuts 100 Gms
Sultanas 100 Gms
Ghee 1tsp
Saffron ½ teaspoons
Sugar 2 tablespoons
Condensed milk ½ cups
Cardamom pods 3
Water

Method:

Break the cardamom pods and remove seeds and grind to a fine powder.

Heat ghee in a pan and gently roast cashew nuts and sultanas and set aside.

In a bowl boil 3 cups of water and dissolve the saffron.

Add sago to this water and cook until it becomes transparent, keeping it stirred to avoid lumps.

If it becomes too thick add boiling water and stir.

When done add the vermicelli and cook until this is soft.

The mixture will tend to thicken and if required add little more boiling water

The correct consistency would be the payasam should be thick and run off the spoon easily but not liquidy.

Add the condensed milk and sugar and stir until well mixed and cooked.

Add cardamom powder, cadju and sultanas and stir well.

Remove from fire and serve hot.

If you allow this to cool it will become firm. If consumed cold is also delicious.

If you replace cardamom seeds with pineapple flavouring it gives a different taste.

Some people use milk instead of condensed milk.