Aadi Thengai Paal Payasam

Step 1: Prepare Rice and Nuts

Wash 1.5 tablespoons of rice, 10 cashews, and 10 almonds. Soak them in water for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Step 2: Grind Rice and Nuts

Drain the soaked rice and nuts. Add them to a blender with a little water and grind to a fine puree. Set aside.

Step 3: Prepare Coconut

Crack open one medium-sized coconut. Remove the white flesh using a knife or grater.

Step 4: Extract First Coconut Milk (Thick)

Add the coconut pieces to a blender. Grind without water first, then add approximately 1/2 cup of water and blend until smooth. Strain this mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing firmly to extract the thickest milk. This is your first coconut milk.

Step 5: Extract Second Coconut Milk (Thin)

Place the remaining coconut pulp back into the blender. Add approximately 1.5-2 cups of water and blend again. Strain this through the sieve, pressing firmly to extract the thinner second coconut milk.

Step 6: Prepare Jaggery Syrup

In a pan, combine 3/4 cup jaggery powder and 1/4 cup water. Heat on medium flame, stirring until the jaggery completely dissolves.

Step 7: Strain Jaggery Syrup

Strain the jaggery syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into another pot to remove any impurities.

Step 8: Cook Jaggery and Thin Coconut Milk

Return the strained jaggery syrup to the pan. Bring it to a boil for about 2 minutes. Then, add the second (thin) coconut milk to the boiling jaggery syrup and mix well.

Step 9: Add Rice and Nut Paste

Once the mixture starts to simmer, add the ground rice, cashew, and almond paste. Stir continuously to prevent lumps and cook on medium flame for about 5 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom.

Step 10: Add Cardamom Powder

Add 1 teaspoon of cardamom powder to the payasam and mix thoroughly.

Step 11: Add Thick Coconut Milk

Finally, add the first (thick) coconut milk. Mix gently and cook for only 2 minutes on medium flame. Do not boil the thick coconut milk for too long to prevent curdling. Turn off the heat.

Step 12: Prepare Tempering

In a small pan, heat 1 tablespoon of ghee. Add cashews and raisins. Fry until the cashews turn golden brown and the raisins plump up.

Step 13: Combine and Serve

Pour the tempered cashews and raisins into the prepared Aadi Thengai Paal Payasam. Mix well and serve warm or chilled.

• To prevent curdling, add the thin coconut milk to the jaggery syrup first, boil it, then add the rice paste, and finally the thick coconut milk. Do not boil the thick coconut milk for too long.

• You can use only rice for thickening if desired, instead of rice, cashews, and almonds.

• For a healthier option, use sunflower oil instead of ghee for tempering.

• Can be made with only rice for thickening.

• Can add moong dal (split yellow lentils) for a different flavor and texture.

• Can add pepper and cardamom for a traditional flavor.