Thengai Payasam/Coconut Kheer

Wishing everyone a year filled with happiness, peace and harmony.

Let’s start this year on a sweet note, with this simple payasam/kheer. This is again a dish which I came to know of and tasted only after marriage. It is one of my MIL’s recipe. This is a really easy payasam and can be made in no time with just a few commonly available ingredients and hence my MIL calls it “thideer payasam”. Even though, the ingredients that go into making this may be very common ones, but the taste is really good. I simply love the combination of coconut and jaggery. So if you are looking for quick and delicious dessert, give this a try.

What you’ll need

1. Raw Rice – 1 tbsp
2. Fresh scraped coconut – ½ cup, tightly packed
3. Powdered Jaggery – 1 cup
4. Boiled, cooled milk – ¾ cup
5. Cardamom – 2 or 3
6. Cashew nuts – 6 to 7, broken
7. Ghee – 1 tsp

Method

1. Wash and soak the rice in water for about an hour.
2. Drain, and grind along with coconut into a fine paste, adding about ¼ cup of water.
3. Dissolve the jaggery, by heating it with ¼ cup of water, strain to remove impurities. Keep aside.
4. Transfer the ground paste, to a heavy bottom vessel. To this add about 2 cups of water and heat on medium flame.
5. Keep stirring else it will form lumps. Keep stirring and cook until the paste is cooked. The paste will turn semi solid like porridge.
6. At this stage add the jaggery mixture and stir well. Boil on low heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
7. Remove from heat, add the milk and cardamom powder and mix well.
8. In a small frying pan, heat a tsp of ghee and fry the cashew nuts. Add it to the payasam.

Delicious payasam is ready. Serve warm.

Note:

Due to the addition of rice, the payasam tends to thicken, so add little milk and adjust consistency before serving.