Kaadaikanni Payasam - A Festive Oats Porridge, and Samba Godumai Rava Payasam - A festive Broken Wheat Porridge

PAYASAM FOR NAVARATRI
Offering Payasam as Neivedyam is an integral part of  Deity worship. Different types of Payasams are prepared by cooking different grains in milk or coconut milk and sweetened with jaggery or sugar. Some Payasams are better left plain while some others are garnished with dry fruits and nuts. Goddess Shakti is offered a Payasam a day on all days of Navaratri  along with the Maha Neivedyam/the main food offering. Here are recipes for two Payasams which can be prepared for the celebration. The first one is called Kaadaikanni Payasam in Tamil and  Tokkegodhi Payasa in Kannada. Kaadaikanni and Tokkegodhi are the not so familiar Tamil and Kannada words which mean Oats. The second one is Samba Godumai Rava Payasam (Tamil) or  Godhi Tari Payasa ( Kannada) meaning Broken Wheat Porridge.

           KAADAIKANNI PAYASAM


     

    SAMBA GODUMAI RAVA PAYASAM




KAADAIKANNI PAYASAM
INGREDIENTS


Rolled Oats/Kaadaikanni  - 1/2 cup
Milk - 4 cups
Powdered jaggery - 3/4 cup
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Raisins and cashew nuts - a few
Saffron strands - 1 pinch
Powdered cardamom - 1 pinch

METHOD


1. Soak the saffron strands in one tablespoon of warm milk and keep aside.
2. Heat one teaspoon of ghee and roast the oats till the colour changes.
3. Add milk and cook till the oats become soft.
4. Add powdered jaggery and cook till it melts and blends with the cooked oats emanating a very pleasant aroma.
5. Add the soaked saffron strands along with the milk.
6. Mix in the cardamom powder.



7. Heat the remaining ghee and fry the cashew nuts to a golden colour, add the raisins and roast till they bloat.
8. Garnish the thick Kaadaikanni Payasam with the ghee fried nuts and raisins.

SAMBA GODUMAI RAVA PAYASAM
INGREDIENTS


Samba Godumai Rava (Fine)/ Broken Wheat - 1/2 cup
Powdered jaggery - 3/4 cup
Thick coconut milk - 4 cups
Powdered cardamom - 1 pinch
Powdered edible camphor - 1 pin head
Ghee - 1 tbsp

METHOD


1. Heat ghee and roast the broken wheat till it emanates a pleasant aroma.
2. Add four cups of boiling water and cook the broken wheat till it becomes a thin
gruel.
3. Add powdered jaggery and cook till the jaggery blends well with the cooked broken wheat.
4. Gently add in the coconut milk and switch off flame before the Payasam boils.



5. Mix in the cardamom powder and the powdered edible camphor into the creamy Payasam with flowing consistency. Garnishing with nuts and raisins is optional.

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