Mmmmmm.. Nei Payasam is everyone’s favroutie type of payasam. I have grown up eating this amazing dish, I remember how my grandmother made the best nei payasam for me. Not only at home but even at the temples in Kerala, nei payasam was given as the ‘prasadam’. I used to go along with my mother only for the ‘prasadams’ given.

Nei payasam is made with a combination of rice, jaggery and ghee. Yes, it’s that simple. It’s a dish that is made for ocassions but at home it is made when we crave for it. 🙂

Ingredients

1. 1 cup- rice
2. 2 ½ cups- powdered Jaggery
3. 4 tbsp- ghee
4. 2 pinches of cardamom powder
5. 1 tbsp of cashew nut pieces
6. A pinch of dry ginger powder

Method

Wash the rice well then add 3 cups of water and cook the rice in the pressure cooker for 3 whistles.

Meanwhile, heat a heavy bottom vessel; add the powdered jaggery and about ¼ cup of water.
Let the jaggery dissolve completely in the water.

Strain the jaggery syrup for impurities and pour it back into the same vessel.

Let this jaggery syrup boil for a few minutes till the syrup starts thickening.
Mash the cooked rice and add it to the jaggery syrup.
Mix well.

Keep stirring for few minutes. Add about 3 tbsp of ghee.
Mix well.
Keep stirring continously until the payasam starts leaving the sides of the vessel and reaches a saucy consistency.
Add cardamom powder and dry ginger powder.

Do not cook for very long as this will become very hard once it cools down.

In a small frying pan, heat 1 tbsp of ghee, add the cashew nut pieces and fry till golden brown.
Add these to the payasam and serve hot.