Nei Payasam (Sharkara payasam)

It is one of the traditional sweet dish made with rice, jaggery and ghee in South India. In many temples, it is served as prasad. It's my favorite and served hot with papad, the best way to eat.

Ingredients :

• 1 cup Rice (usually used is Unakkalari - broken but I used the one we eat regularly)

• 250 gram Jaggery (use the black)

• 1/4 cup Ghee

• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder

• 1 tbsp Coconut Cut into small triangle pieces

• 1 tbsp Misri (Kalkandam / White rock candy)

• 1/4 tsp Dry ginger powder

• A pinch roasted roasted cumin powder

• 1 tsp jaggery powder

Method :

Use medium flame for cooking payasam

• Wash and rinse the rice thoroughly. In the utensil you want to make the payasam, cook the rice with 2 cups of water and 1 tsp Ghee. I used URULI, a traditional copper-bronze utensil used in Kerala for cooking.

• In another pot, heat the jaggery with little water, 1/4 cup will be enough. Jaggery I used were 70 grams cubes instead of powder and I used 3 & 1/2 of them. Use the dark brown Jaggeries as the light colored are chemically processed ones.

• Once the jaggery melts, remove it from the stove and strain it for impurities.

• Keep check on the rice and add water if required (different rice type needs different measurement of water). The rice should be cooked 95% when you add the melted jaggery to it.

• Mix and let it all combine together well. The rice will be infused with the jaggery flavor. As it starts thickening add cardamom powder and ghee 1 tablespoon at time. The consistency of payasam shouldn't be very solid or liquid and it will thicken as it cools down.

• In a small pan, heat up a spoon ghee and fry the coconut pieces. You can fry and add cashew and kismis too.

• As the payasam reaches it's desired consistency, remove it from heat. Add the coconut pieces.

• Mix the jaggery powder with the dry ginger powder and roasted cumin powder and spread it over the payasam and mix once.

• Add the misri once the payasam cools a bit and serve.