Aravana/Saravana Payasam
This is the king of the Payasams and is often associated with festivals in temples especially in Sabarimala and (nercha Payasam as they call it ) in churches especially during St.Joseph's feast which falls on March 19 th every year.
My memories of this Payasam revolves around my fraternal home in Moncompu where we used to spend our 2 months summer holidays every year .My uncle A.C.Chacko,Kuvachachan as we call him used to take us to the chirappu at the temple in Muncompu and gets the Aravana for us.Sometimes he brings the Payasam veppukaran at the temple to our Attiyil/Adayadil Tharavadu and he makes it for us in the big Urali and as kids we used to eagerly watch him make the Payasam.All the kids & parents used to relish on this.
I used to think that it's called Aravana Payasam till a few years back until the myth was broken by an article saying that it was originally called Saravana Payasam in the beginning and gradually changed to Aravana Payasam
The recipe for Aravana/Saravana Payasam
1.Raw Matta /Payasam Rice-3/4 cup
Water-1 3/4 cup
Pressure cook this together for a whistle.
2.Jaggery-600 gm
Water-1/2 cup
Boil the above together till the jaggery is well dissolved.Strain this into a nonstick pan with wide bottom.Boil till this thickens a bit.(not too thick).
Now add the cooked rice from the cooker to this & cook till almost all the jaggery is well coated in the rice. Add freshly crushed cardamom to this.
3.Cardamom-4-5(crushed)
Ghee-2-3 tbsps
Cashews-10
Kismis-15
Coconut pieces-1/4 cup
Heat the ghee & fry the coconut pieces & set aside.Add the cashews & kismis and fry till golden.Add this along with the fried coconut to the Payasam and cook until the Payasam thickens a bit.Once completely cooled garnish with small kalkkandam pieces.
(If your rice has been over cooked,u add it to the jaggery syrup with some water sothat the rice hardens a bit while it's boiled in the jaggery syrup .If your rice is cooked just right,u should add it to the syrup only when the syrup has thickened. This is the most important thing to remember while making Aravana Payasam)
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