During Onam festival, people make different types of payasam for Onam sadya. I have already shared Payasam varieties of Kerala in my Onam sadya posts. Here is yet another traditional Payasam recipe of Kerala that is prepared using raw rice and jaggery. It is called as Sharkara payasam/ Ari payasam/ Unakalari payasam / Nei payasam / Ney payasam/ rice payasam with jaggery/ Kerala rice kheer.
Its consistency and taste is more like Sweet pongal / Sakkarai pongal. This payasam is more popular in Kerala temples. This payasam is prepared using Kerala raw rice that looks light pink in color. It is called as Unakalari in Malayalam.
Traditionally Ari payasam is prepared in a big uruli but I used a pressure cooker to finish the job quickly. So you cannot achieve the authentic taste but its equally good. In Kerala, people make this payasam adding thin and thick coconut milk. But there is another version that uses ground coconut paste instead of coconut milk. I followed that recipe. Soon I will try to share the temple style authentic Sharkara payasam.
Now lets see this easy version of making Kerala style rice payasam with jaggery in a pressure cooker with step by step pictures.
Please check out my other KERALA RECIPES too !
Kerala rice payasam with jaggery / Ari payasam
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- ½ cup Kerala raw rice / Unakalari
- 1 cup Powdered dark jaggery
- 2 cup Water
- ¼ cup Ghee
- ¼ cup Grated coconut
- 2 Cardamom (crushed)
- ½ tsp Dry ginger powder
- Edible camphor / Pachai karpooram a dash
- 1 pinch Salt
Instructions
- Wash and take the rice in a pressure cooker. Add water, a pinch of salt and cook in low flame for one whistle. Alternately you can cook the rice in open pot too.
- Pressure cook in low flame for one whistle. Make sure rice is not over cooked and mushy. Rice should be cooked but its should retain its shape.
- Open the cooker after the steam is released. Mash it gently. Melt jaggery adding water and strain the syrup. Add to the cooked rice.
- Add grated coconut, mix well. Boil for few minutes. When it starts to thicken, add ghee at regular intervals till the payasam becomes creamy and saucy. Switch off the flame and let it rest.
- In the mean time, roast cashews, coconut pieces till golden and add to payasam. Add cardamom powder, dry ginger powder and mix well.
- Serve hot or warm as you like. Enjoy ! This payasam looks like sweet Pongal once its cold. So you can serve as such or add little coconut milk or warm milk to adjust the consistency.
Notes
|
Enjoy this delicious, Kerala style Sharkara payasam @ nei payasam with pazham and papadam !
