Nei Payasam

Wishing all my friends a very Happy Vishu.

Payasam is a must to celebrate any festival and same goes with Vishu. Generally my MIL would have gone with Paal Payasam, but since we had made it only two days back for Sri Rama Navami, decided on making another traditional payasam i.e Nei Payasam. It is also called Kadu Madhura Payasam i.e. very sweet payasam.

This Payasam is very special in Kerala temples. It is also made as a prasadam on the occasion of Bagavathy Sevai – a special pooja conducted between mid July and August to please Devi.
So here’s the recipe for this divine treat:

Ingredients

1. Rice – 1 cup
2. Powdered Jaggery – 2 ½ cups
3. Ghee – 3 – 4 tblsp
4. Cardamom Powder – little
5. Coconut cut into small pieces – a handful

Method

Wash rice well. Add 3 cups water and cook the rice in pressure cooker for 3 whistles. In the meanwhile, heat a heavy bottom vessel; add the powdered jaggery and about ¼ cup of water. When the jaggery dissolves completely, strain for impurities and pour it back into the same vessel. Let this jaggery syrup boil for a few minutes till the syrup starts thickening. Mash the cooked rice and add it to the jaggery syrup. Mix well. Now keep stirring for few minutes. Add about 2 tblsps of ghee. Mix well. Keep stirring till the Payasam starts leaving the sides of the vessel and reaches a saucy consistency. Do not cook for very long as this will become very hard once it cools down.

In a small frying pan, heat 1 tblsp of ghee, add the chopped coconut pieces and fry till golden brown. Add these to the payasam. Also add the cardamom powder and mix well.

Delicious nei payasam is ready to eat.

Note:

This payasam is generally very sweet, so you can’t eat more than 3 to 4 spoons at one go. But you can reduce the sweetness according to your taste.

Sending this to Celebrate Sweets - Sweets with Rice Event by Niveditha hosted by Priya.