Carrot payasam (kheer)

Preparation time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 60 mins

Oct-Nov is a birthday season in my home. My elder son's birthday falls just a few days after my husbands. I had made a few special dishes and my son kept reminding me of his and the long list of items he wanted on his birthday. He is a payasam lover and I prepared his favourite.

Ingredients
Carrots(Big)-4
Milk-5 cups
Ghee-1 tbsp
Cashew nuts-10 to 15
Cardamom-2

Method
Boil 4 cups of milk in a heavy bottom vessel(preferably nonstick). Cook on slow flame stirring constantly till it reduces to 3/4 of the quantity. Grate 2 carrots, saute this in ghee until all the water from it evaporates. Now add this to the milk and cook until the carrot is soft.

In another vessel boil the remaining carrots & cashew nuts with 1 cup milk until done, cool it and grind it to a paste. Add this paste along with the milk to the above cooked carrot milk mixture and mix well. Now add sugar, cardamom powder and cook on slow flame until it blends well and is of semi-thick consistency.( Payasam well get thicker when it gets cool, so adjust the consistency accordingly). Tastes good when served cold.



Garnish with roasted cashew nuts and raisins.