Ari Sharkara Payasam/ Kerala Rice Jaggery Pudding

Ari Sharkara Payasam

Do you like puddings with rice? Today's recipe is an old-fashioned delicious dessert/pudding with rice and jaggery. I love puddings with rice because it is a simple, homey dessert and is easy to make. Rice payasam with jaggery tastes delicious. Unlike refined sugar, jaggery is often used in traditional recipes as a sweetener to make snacks and desserts. Jaggery adds a rich molasses taste, and its color can vary from golden brown to dark brown. For this Ari sharkara payasam/ rice jaggery payasam, it is preferable to use the dark jaggery. Rice is a staple in South India, and pudding with rice is very common. Rice has a divine appeal to it, and rice payasam is a cherished offering of South Indian temples.

Ari sharkara payasam is a quick and simple dessert/pudding. Rice, coconut milk, ghee, and jaggery/molasses together makes a unique and tasty dessert. It has a beautiful texture, soft and moist, and almost melting in ghee along with the creamy taste of coconut milk. It is similar to temple payasam and arachuvitta payasam. It has a thicker consistency than regular payasam. The rice is cooked till soft but should hold a texture and have a mouthfeel. The best variety of rice for this recipe is Jeera Rice, basmati rice, etc. I have used Kerala payasam rice or red rice. Cook rice till tender and falls apart. You need to be patient when you make this payasam, as it is slow-cooked to attain its thick, creamy consistency. Try this, you will surely love it.

Ari Sharkara Payasam/ Kerala Rice Jaggery Pudding Recipe

Ingredients
Raw red rice/payasam rice- 1 cup
Jaggery ( powdered)-1 1/2 cup
(Adjust according to sweetness you prefer)
Coconut milk thick- 1 1/2 cup
Coconut milk thin- 2 1/2 cup
Cardamom crushed- 5-6
Banana/cheru pazham-1 mashed (optional)
Sliced coconut- 2 tbs
Raisins and cashew nuts- a few
Ghee- 3 tsp

Wash and soak rice for an hour. In a saucepan, add powdered jaggery and one cup of water. Bring it to a boil and simmer till the jaggery is completely dissolved. Strain the impurities and keep them aside.

Cook rice with thin coconut milk. ( you can also use a pressure cooker to cook the rice). Let the rice cook till it is soft and mushy. Mix the jaggery syrup and continue to simmer for 6-8 minutes till the payasam attains a thick consistency. Add cardamom powder and the mashed (or sliced) banana and mix well. Finally, pour the thick coconut milk and simmer on low flame for one minute. Do not allow to boil. The payasam will thicken as it cools down.

Heat ghee in a separate pan and fry sliced coconut till it turns golden brown. In the same ghee, add cashew nuts and raisins and fry till golden brown. Add this to the payasam and mix. Allow to cool and serve.