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Tender coconut Kheer/Payasam. A Healthy dessert for the summer.
No need for an introduction about the benefits of the main ingredient, as it is known for its coolant nature. Give a try and treat your family with a delicious dessert.
I have tweaked my mother’s recipe with addition of two special ingredients. She doesn’t add Poppy seeds and dates to the payasam. The original recipe looks white in colour, unlike the brownish tint as seen in the image. It is because of addition of poppy seeds and dtes. I have dry roasted the poppy seeds and that is another the reason for the colour change. But trust me the roasting of poppy seeds add its part in fragrance along with cardamon pods to the payasam.
In this recipe, I am specifically mentioning the method of scrapping the pulp from the shell. The tender coconut should be scrapped along with the inner lining of the wooden seed coat This outer skin of the pulp has has medicinal properties, healing stomach ailments. My grandmother used to instruct us to consume along with the brownish seed coat. As it tastes bitter we used to avoid it 🙂 We were told that the coat heals stomach ailments and prevents urinary infection. I am not sure about the later one, but it is good for stomach ulcers.
While residing in Coimbatore, I had the chance of having Sevalaneer – Orange Coconut. The outer exocarp has the orange colour instead of common green colour. Twenty years ago, we used drive from Coimbatore to Pollachi, vendors on the roadside sell freshly harvested Tender coconuts..They have an unique taste tinkling the taste buds while drinking. The tinkling and the sweetness of the water really tastes heaven.
Time : 25 Minutes
Servings : 3w
Ingredients
1 cup Tender coconut pulp
½ cup Tender coconut water
½ cup coconut milk
3 seedless dates
1 tsp Poppy seeds
2 tbsp Sago
1 tbsp sugar
4 Cardamoms
Few strands of saffron optional
10 cashew nuts
1 tbsp ghee
Method
1. Soak sago in 1½ cups of piping hot water and keep aside.
2. In a blender add half quantity of coconut pulp, dates and poppy seeds and grind to a smooth paste. Now add the remaining coconut pulp and pulse the mixture two times in your blender. The coconut pieces should be chopped into small pieces.
3. In a pan add the mixture, saggo and add 1½ cups of water and allow it boil, and from that point let it boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Now add tender coconut water and coconut milk and give a swirl for few seconds so that the coconut milk doesn’t get curdled.
5. Roast cashews in ghee and add to the payasam along with crushed cardamom.
6. You may add saffron to the mixture. If so add warm water or milk – optional to the strands and after the colour is oozed out to the water, add to the payasam.
I have added dates and poppy seeds, so can’t expect the colour of the payasam to exhibit near to the white in the colour card. But will reveal it’s taste shade to the taste buds. Enjoy!!!
