Saggubiyyam payasam

Ingredients

• ½ cup saggubiyyam or Tapioca pearls
• 1½ cups water
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ cup jaggery (bellam) (or palm jaggery or sugar)
• 1 pinch cardamom powder or elaichi powder
• 1 tablespoon ghee
• 4 cashews
• 4 raisins

Steps

1. Grate the jaggery into a pan with 3 to 4 tbsps water and heat until dissolved. Strain the syrup through a filter set over a glass. Rinse the pot, return the syrup to it and boil until a little thicker. Leave it to cool completely, then set aside.
2. Put the saggubiyyam in another pot and rinse thoroughly twice. Pour in 1½ cups water and cook until transparent. You can bite a pearl to check that it is fully cooked without a hard center. Add water if needed and keep stirring until done.
3. Pour in the milk and cook until thickened, then stir in the cardamom powder and cooled jaggery syrup. Do not pour hot jaggery syrup into the cooked saggubiyyam, as it will make the payasam curdle completely.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a small pan. Add the split cashews and fry until lightly golden, then stir in the raisins and fry until plump. Pour this mixture into the saggubiyyam payasam.
5. Always let food cool before offering it to God. Serve the saggubiyyam payasam after it has cooled completely.