Happy Pongal, Makar Sankranti, Lohri! Hope everyone is all set to celebrate this festival (whatever you choose to call it) that marks the winter harvest in India and associated abundance. We loved this festival just because it came barely two weeks into our last term of school after it reopens in the beginning of January. It was something to look forward to. I used to help amma draw kolam (Rangoli / designs drawn on the floor with special white powder). It was sort of a competition amongst neighbours as to who can fill the ground space in front of their house with beautiful designs. Some extra competitive ones would even encroach into your space! The Tamil magazines that amma subscribed to had special Pongal editions with many new kolam designs to pick from and we would spend hours pouring over them trying to pick the best ones. Ah, those were the days. I can barely draw a steady line of kolam now, having been out of practice for so long.
Of course any Indian festival has to be accompanied with a dessert of some sorts. The sweet Pongal or Chakkara Pongal is what is made in the morning of Pongal. Some make do with the same as dessert after lunch. Several others make one more payasam/kheer/pudding as a separate dessert. Here is a payasam made with broken wheat, jaggery and coconut milk.
This payasam is also served for the Kerala feast called Sadya. You can find our collection of 40+ Kerala Sadya Recipes here.
Gothambu Payasam – The Recipe
Ingredients:
Broken Wheat / Nurukku Gothambu / Gothumai Rawa – 1 cup
Water – 4 to 5 cups, to cook the broken wheat
Jaggery – 2 to 3 cups (depending on how sweet you want your payasam to be)
Water – ¼ cup, to help melt jaggery
Coconut Milk – 1 can
Ground Cardamom – ½ tsp
Ghee – 2 tbsp
Cashews – a handful
Method:
Cook the broken wheat in the water till it is tender to bite, a little more cooked than al dente, but not over cooked to be mushy.
If there is extra water in the cooked wheat, let it be.
In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the jaggery with the ¼ cup water, over medium heat.
Give it a stir every once in a while.
Once the jaggery is all melted, add the wheat to this.
Let it mix well.
Now pour the coconut milk to this mixture and let it cook together on low-medium heat. Don’t let it boil.
Add the ground cardamom and mix well.
In a separate pan, heat the ghee and add the cashews to it. Let the cashews become golden brown.
Pour the ghee and cashew into the payasam.
Serve hot or at room temperature.
Notes:
The payasam will thicken as it gets cold, you can just warm it in the microwave to loosen it a little. You can add more coconut milk and heat it real quickly if you want it thinner. Keep in mind that adding coconut milk will reduce the sweetness.
You can adjust the amount of jaggery and coconut milk, to your taste.
I personally like to use jaggery that is darker in color, just so I get that nice dark brown color for my payasam.
Gothambu Payasam ~ Gothumai Rawa (Rava) Payasam ~ Broken Wheat Coconut Milk Pudding sweetened with Jaggery
Ingredients
- 1 cup Broken Wheat / Nurukku Gothambu / Gothumai Rawa
- 4-5 cups Water to cook the broken wheat
- 2 ½ cups crushed Jaggery
- ¼ cup Water to help melt jaggery
- 1 can Coconut Milk
- ½ tsp Ground Cardamom
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- 3 tbsp Unsalted Cashewnuts
Instructions
- Cook the broken wheat in the water till it is tender to bite, a little more cooked than al dente, but not over cooked to be mushy.
- If there is extra water in the cooked wheat, let it be.
- In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the jaggery with the ¼ cup water, over medium heat.
- Give it a stir every once in a while.
- Once the jaggery is all melted, add the wheat to this.
- Let it mix well.
- Now pour the coconut milk to this mixture and let it cook together on low-medium heat. Don't let it boil.
- Add the ground cardamom and mix well.
- In a separate pan, heat the ghee and add the cashews to it. Let the cashews become golden brown.
- Pour the ghee and cashew into the payasam.
- Serve hot or at room temperature.
Notes
You can adjust the amount of jaggery and coconut milk, to your taste.
I personally like to use jaggery that is darker in color, just so I get that nice dark brown color for my payasam.
Nutrition
Praveen says
നിങ്ങളുടെ ഗോതമ്പു പായസം വളരെ നന്നായിരിക്കുന്നു. നിങ്ങളുടെ പാചകത്തിന്റെ മലയാളത്തിലുള്ള വിവരങ്ങൾ കിട്ടുമോ , ദയവായി പറഞ്ഞു തരിക.