Kerala Special - Idichi Pizhinja Payasam / Sadasadayam / Chadhachadhayam

Iam fond of Onam Sadhya. This dessert is a great highlight in the same. I simply used to relish Kerala food this is one among them

It is a blend of mashed rice, jaggery extract and coconut milk garnished with fried coconut pieces and cashews.Absolutely Lip Smacking

Ingredients

• Raw rice - 4 tablespoons
• Jaggery - 1 cup
• Coconut - 1 (big sized)
• Cashews - little
• Grated coconut - few slices
• Ghee - 1 tablespoon or little more

Method
Step 1- Pressure cooking rice

• Wash and pressure cook rice.The ratio of rice: water is 1:3.Once done mash it and keep it aside

Step 2 - Coconut milk extraction

• Scrape coconut or take it out as small pieces with a help of knife.Scraping gives best results though
• Take it in a mixer.Pour 1/4 cup of warm water and grind it

• Take it out and squeeze the milk by one of the following methods:  You can put the ground coconut paste in a muslin cloth and squeeze it out (or) take it on a clean strainer and press it well with a spoon to extract the milk.Since I used a strainer I did it in batches
• Keep the milk aside.This is the first milk

• Now take the residue in a mixer and add 1 cup of warm water. Repeat the above procedure and keep the milk aside.This is the second milk and keep it separate
• Again with the remaining residue add 2 cups of warm water and repeat the steps mentioned for the first milk.This is the third milk.Keep it aside

Step-3 - Jaggery extract

• Take jaggery in a wide bottomed kadai or uruli.Pour little water to immerse it
• Heat till the jaggery get dissolved.Strain the jaggery extract to remove impurities and again put it back into the kadai and boil it

Step 4- Payasam preparation

• Add the mashed rice and the third coconut milk to the jaggery extract.Mix well and boil it for 5 minutes

• Now pour in the second coconut milk and boil till the payasam gets thickened

• Meanwhile melt ghee in a separate pan/kadai.Fry cashewnuts first.Take it out and keep it aside

• In the same pan / kadai fry coconut bits

• Add the fried cashews and coconut bits to the payasam.Pour in the first coconut milk and just boil for 3 minutes

Hot Lip Smacking Payasam is ready.Relish each and every sip of it