Ari Payasam/ Sharkkara payasam

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  INGREDIENTS:
  
  Raw rice(Sona Masoori) - 1 cup
  Jaggery - 1 big
  Coconut milk - 1/2 - 1 can
  Banana- 1 (optional)
  Cashew nuts - 10 no.
  Raisins - 10 no.
  Coconut (thin slices) - 1 tbsp
  Ghee
  Water- 3 cups
  Salt
  Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
  
  METHOD:
  
• To begin with soak the rice for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile make the jaggery syrup. Crush the jaggery. Put the jaggery in a a sauce pan with a little water and melt it by keeping on low flame.
• Heat a pan in which you are planning to make payasam. Put one tbsp of ghee to the pan and fry the cashews(lightly browned),raisins(raisins will puff up). Keep them aside. Fry the coconut pieces also until light brown and keep aside.Add little more ghee if needed. Mean while strain the soaked rice.Then put the soaked rice to the pan and fry for some time. Add 3 cups of water and a pinch of salt to the rice and cook. Do not over cook the rice. Need not worry if some extra water is there even after the rice is done.
• Strain the jaggery syrup to the rice.
• Keeping in low flame stir well for some time so that the jaggery is well coated on the rice.
• Grind a banana with coconut milk and add to the rice jaggery mix.Stir well.
• Check for the sweetness. If required add more jaggery syrup/sugar. The consistency can be adjusted with boiled water.
• Add the cardamom powder.
• Garnish with fried cashewnuts,raisins and coconut pieces.
• Enjoy!!!!!!

Suggestions:

• The more generous you are with the ghee and coconut milk the tastier your payasam will be....
• Sweetness of the jaggery varies with different types. I used the dark ones which is usually used in kerala recipes. If using the small light coloured ones you may have to use more.