Pineapple and Sabudana Payasam

Ingredients

• Pineapple - 1 cup
• Jaggery - 150 g
• Sabudana (tapioca pearls) - 1/4 cup
• Coconut milk (thick) - 1 cup
• Ghee - 5 tbsp
• Milk - 1/4 cup
• Water - 1 cup
• Raisins - 10 whole
• Cashew nuts - 10 whole
• Cornflour (optional)

Instructions

1. 1Crush or pulse the pineapple until you have 1 cup of pulp and set it aside so it is ready when the syrup is done.
2. 2Soak the sabudana in hot water for 5 minutes, then drain and set aside briefly.
3. 3Boil the soaked sabudana with a little milk until the pearls turn transparent and the mixture is soft; reserve this boiled sabudana for later.
4. 4Dissolve the jaggery in 1 cup of water, then boil the jaggery mixture on medium flame for 10 minutes and strain it to remove any impurities.
5. 5Heat a pan, add the jaggery syrup and the 1 cup pineapple pulp, and stir on medium flame until the pineapple is well incorporated and the mixture cooks for approximately 5 minutes.
6. 6Add the boiled sabudana and 3 tbsp ghee to the pan and stir; when the mixture thickens, pour in 1 cup coconut milk (thick) and mix well so the payasam becomes creamy.
7. 7Finally add 1/4 cup boiled milk and mix gently to combine everything into a smooth payasam.
8. 8If you prefer a thicker texture, dissolve a little cornflour in a small amount of milk and stir it into the payasam until it thickens to your liking.
9. 9Heat the remaining ghee in a small pan and fry the cashew nuts and raisins until they are light brown and fragrant.
10. 10Garnish the payasam with the fried cashews and raisins and serve warm. Optional: serve with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream for a modern twist.