Neipayasam

Neipayasam is very famous among the kerala Iyers and it is made as a prasadam in many kerala temples.It is very delicious and rich in taste.

This recipe serves six.

Ingredients:

=========

• Raw rice - 110 grams
• Jaggery - a big ball of diameter,say 6 to 7 cm
• Ghee - 3 tablespoon
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Coconut gratings - 2 teaspoon(just cut very tiny piece,say of length 3 mm .Do not shred the coconut)

Method:

======

• Wash and soak the rice for 2 hours.
• Add water,(for 1 cup of rice ,add 1.25 cups of water) and cook covered for 10 min.
• Switch off and leave covered till the water is absorbed by the rice completely.
• After the above process,the rice would have been cooked 80 to 85%.Set aside.

• Beat the jaggery ball with a stone and crush it.Use a news paper beneath.
• Add 1 to 1.5 glass of water and jaggery to a kadai .Stir on a medium flame till the jaggery melts completely.
• Switch off and strain the dirt using a strainer.

• Add the strained jaggery juice and rice in a kadai and mix well.
• After mixing well,switch on the flame.
• On a medium flame,stir continuously till the mixture becomes thick.
• Add ghee and stir for 5 to 10 min till the mixture becomes like a slightly loose paste.
• Do not make it very thick.As the payasam itself thickens with time.
• Add cardamom powder.Roast the coconut gratings in a tsp of ghee and add to the payasam.

• Leave the payasam in the kadai itself to cool down to room temperature.Transfer it to a serving bowl.

Enjoy the yummy Payasam!!!