Custard Payasam

 

This is one of those recipes that you discover 'accidentally' when trying to fix something that did not turn out the way you expected it to. I was trying to make some White Payasam when I realized that it was too runny. I like my white payasam quite thick and rich, so I was going through my cupboard, thinking what to do when my eyes landed on the nearly empty packet of custard powder. "Why not?" was the question I remember thinking, and then I had this fusion dessert, and I absolutely loved it. This is definitely one variation of payasam to try when you're bored of the regular.

Ingredients:

2 liters milk, with 1/2 cup of this kept separately
1 cup vermicelli
1/4 cup sago
1-2 tbsp ghee
1/2 tin condensed milk
1/2-3/4 cup sugar (based on taste)
4 tbsp custard powder
2 pinches cardamom powder
2 pinches saffron
Cashews and raisins 

Method:

Fry the cashews and raisins in the ghee and keep them aside.

In a saucepan over a medium flame, lightly sauté the sago in about 1/4 tbsp of the ghee until they become bright and opaque (This will hardly take a minute, be careful not to burn them).

Add about 1/2-3/4 cup of boiling water and cook the sautéed sago over a low flame until they are transparent.

Transfer the rest of the ghee to a nonstick pot and sauté the vermicelli till they are golden brown. If your vermicelli is pre-roasted, you can just lightly sauté it.

Add the milk to the pot and bring it to a boil. Stir the mixture occasionally to ensure that the vermicelli doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Lower the heat and allow it to simmer for about 5-10 minutes, till the vermicelli has softened and is cooked. 

The mixture would have thickened a little by now.

Add the condensed milk, saffron, cardamom powder, and about 1/2 cup of the sugar and stir to combine.

In a separate mixing bowl, mix the custard powder with the reserved milk until all the powder has dissolved.

Add this to the simmering mixture in the pot and stir well to mix it in.

The mixture will start to thicken more. Taste to see if it is sweet enough, or add more sugar.

Add the cashews and raisins, give it a good stir and turn off the heat.

The payasam will thicken as it cools. If it thickens too much, just add a little more milk and stir it in.

Most people like their milk payasam served warm or hot, but I personally love it served cold or at room temperature.