Kharjura Payasa / Dates Payasa

Ingredients:

1 cup Dates / Kharjura

3/4 - 1 cup Jaggary / Bella

1.5 - 2 cups Coconut Milk

1-2 Cardamoms / Elakki / Elachi

1.5 tsp broken Cashew nuts / Godambi

1 tsp Raisins / Ona Draakshi

Pinch of Salt

Recipe:

Remove the seeds from dates and chop them into medium sized pieces as shown in the picture below.

Put the chopped dates, 1/2 cup water in a pressure cooker container and cook.(3-4 whistles) Once the pressure goes off, grind them coarsely as shown in the picture below.

Put 1 tsp ghee in a pan and heat. Add broken cashew nuts, raisins and fry the in medium flame until they turn light golden in color.

Cook this ground dates in a vessel by adding around 1 cup of thin coconut milk and jaggary for about 5-10 mins in medium flame. Add thick coconut milk, pinch of salt and bring them to boil. Keep the payasa in low flame for about 3-4 mins. Keep stirring the payasa once in a min.

(For Coconut milk: Grind 1.5 - 2 cups of fresh grated coconut into smooth paste by adding little amount of water. Squeeze the ground coconut, by placing it in a clean cotton cloth. Note: After this process, add little amount of water to the squeezed coconut, mix well and squeeze it again. This thin coconut milk can be used while cooking the payasa along with jaggary)

Add mashed cardamom seeds, fried cashew nuts, raisins and keep the payasa in low flame for about 1-2 mins.

Serve it hot or chilled. The above mentioned ingredients will serve 3-4 cups of Payasa.