Papaya Pradhaman / Papaya Payasam

For this Onam and Bakrid season I am presenting a deferent payasam with papaya. I know during this festive season we can't end the feast without any sweet. 

Papaya fruit is available through out the year mostly everywhere. I know papaya fruit is not everyone favourite, it has the slight bitter after taste that put most people off. The great voyager Christopher Columbus used to refer to this fruit as "fruit of angels". Raw papaya has good source of fibre, which helps to lower high cholesterol and blood sugar level. The enzyme papain present in papaya is known to aid digestion by breaking down proteins. A glass of papaya juice is recommended as a home remedy for digestion. It has anti- oxidants that protect the body from heart diseases and cancer. Papaya is a great source of Vitamin A, B, C, and K is known as an excellent immunity booster. Its a beauty experts too, often suggest using slices of papaya as a natural skin cleanser as the active enzymes work wonders to remove impurities. Papaya is low in calories and it helps for weight loss. So try to include this fruit in your diet.  

Here is payasam recipe for you all to try. Wishing you all Happy Onam and Happy Bakrid .

Ingredients

• Ripe Papaya 1 cup (450 gm, cut into medium cubes )
• Sago / Sabutana 1/4 cup ( soaked in water for 30 minutes to 1 hour )
• Coconut Milk 2 cup (thin one)
• Coconut Milk 1 cup (thick one)
• Jaggery 600 gm to 700 gm (melted in water)
• Cardamom Powder 1 tsp
• Ghee
• Raisins few
• Cashew Nuts few

Method

Heat a medium size sauce pan on medium low flame and add 2 tbsp of ghee. Once the ghee melts add chopped papaya and saute for 2 minutes. Add soaked and drained sago and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Now add melted and strained jaggery and cardamom powder mix well. Let the papaya and sago cook well in jaggery water. Once the mix became little thick and comes out from edges of the sauce pan add thin coconut milk and keep the flame on low. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in-between. Now add thick coconut and stir well. Now remove from flame and keep it aside. In a small pan add 1 tbsp of ghee and cashew nuts and roast well, add raisins and roast,put off flame and add pinch cardamom powder and mix well, then add this into the payasam and mix well. Serve warm or cold. 

NB: Please use very ripe papaya, then only you get perfect taste. Please take care of the consistency of the payasam, when we finish cooking you will feel its little watery but it will be thicker afterwards because of sago, it sucks water and the payasam will be thicker after sometime. Sabutana is available in small and big once, if you are using small once, you can soak it for 1 hour else soak in 2 hours in water.  You want more sweet in the payasam add jaggery accordingly. Enjoy cooking.