Carrot Badam Payasam

Serves: 6

Ingredients

  • 200 gms grated carrot
  • 150 gms badam (almonds), soaked for 2 hours and drained
  • Half litre milk
  • 200 ml additional milk
  • 50 gms cashews, divided
  • 200 gms sugar

  • Ghee (quantity as needed for sautéing and tempering)
    Saffron flower for garnish (optional)

  • ½ tsp cardamom powder

Instructions

Preparation of Milk:

In a separate vessel, boil the half-litre of milk. Once cooked, set it aside. Boil the additional 200 ml of milk in a separate pan and set aside.

Carrot Preparation:

Heat a bit of ghee in a kadai (or a heavy-bottomed pan) and add the grated carrot. Sauté until its raw smell disappears.

Cashew and Almond Paste:

Combine 25 gms cashews with the soaked badam (almonds) in a mixer or food processor. Grind them to form a coarse paste.

Assembling the Payasam:

Transfer the sautéed carrot and the cashew-almond paste to a large vessel. Add the boiled half-litre of milk first, followed by the boiled 200 ml.

Sweetening:

Stir in 200 gms of sugar until it dissolves completely.

Tempering:

In a small pan, heat some ghee and fry the remaining 25 gms of cashews until golden. Add these tempered cashews to the payasam.

Final Boil:

Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, ensuring all ingredients meld together. Add cardamom powder.

Garnishing:

Garnish the payasam with kumkum flowers for a touch of colour and fragrance.

Serving:

Serve the Carrot Badam Payasam warm or chilled, based on your preference.

Enjoy this rich and aromatic dessert!