Sabudana Kheer/Payasam

Sabudana is Tapioca pearl/pearl sago.It is mostly enjoyed during various fasting days.Today I made Sabudana Kheer in milk...nice thick texture with softened pearls..tasted delicious with saffron , cardamom aroma.

Ingredients:-

• 1 Cup Sabudana - ( check below- for soaking procedure)
• 5 Cup 2% Fat Milk. (You may need 1 more cup to adjust desired consistency)
  
• 1/3 Cup Sugar.
• 2 pinch saffron.
• 8-10 cardamom - make fine powder.
• 15-20 Cashew nuts. (few chopped and few whole)
  
• 2 Tb.spoon Golden raisins.
• 3-4 Tb.spoon Ghee.

Pre-Soaking Sabudana

1. Rinse 1 Cup sabudana in water..drain all water.
2. Take medium size bowl - add 1 Cup fresh water and soak sabudana for 15 minutes.
3. After 15 minutes Drain out remaining water from bowl - (approximate 1/4 cup water will be drained out)
4. Toss sabudana and cover with plastic wrap and keep it aside for at least 2 hours. (This will completely puff up/soften each pearl.)

How to make Kheer

1. Take thick bottom pot ( 3 quart size minimum)and add 5 Cups milk .Add two pinches of saffron strands and let milk boil on medium low heat.. frequently stir milk.
2. Add soaked Sabudana and reduce heat to low. Let it simmer in milk for 7-8 minutes.
3. Add 1/3 Cup Sugar & Cardamom powder - Mix well with milk. Let it simmer for 4-5 minutes on low heat.
4. In the mean time heat 2 tb.spoon Ghee in small pan and shallow fry cashew nuts on medium low heat till they turn golden brown.Keep them aside on paper towel.
5. Wipe out Ghee from pan with paper towel and add fresh 2 tb.spoon Ghee- Heat it and add golden raisins -shallow fry them by turning with spoon.They quickly puff up and turn golden brown..remove them and set on paper towel.
6. Now add roasted cashew nuts and raisins to milk and mix well. By now you will notice that each pearl of sago is well puffed up and appears translucent also consistency of Kheer gets thicker. You may add little milk to have desired consistency.Also adjust sugar level.After 2-3 minutes turn off the gas and let Kheer cool. Don't serve this Kheer hot, it tastes better at normal or cold temperature.