Watch how to make Cherupayar Ari Payasam or green gram and rice pudding for Onam

Preparation Time: 10 mins 

Cooking time: 35 mins 

Serves: 8 

Ingredients 

100gms raw rice (Unakkalari) 

100gms split green gram (de-husked) 

300 gms jaggery (Sharkara) 

400 ml first press coconut milk 

500 ml second press coconut milk 

600 ml third press coconut milk 

2 tbsp fresh coconut chips 

2 tbsp raisins 

2 tbsp of sabudana or sago pearls

8 cardamoms 

1 small piece of nutmeg 

1 teaspoon of sugar 

¼ cup cashews 

¼ cup ghee 

200 ml (1 cup) water 

 

Method 

Step: 1 

Soak the sabudana or sago pearls in water for 3 hours. 

Step: 2 

Grind the cardamom, nutmeg and sugar together, keep aside 

Step: 3 

Grate two coconuts. Then add 350 ml of warm water and grind at medium speed for 30 seconds, then extract the thick coconut milk and keep aside. (This is the first press coconut milk or Onnampaal.

Now put grated coconut back into the grinder. Add 500 ml of warm water and grind for 30 seconds, then extract the semi-thick coconut milk and keep aside. (This is second press coconut milk or Randampaal.) 

Repeat the process with 600 ml of water and extract the thin coconut milk and keep aside. (This is third press coconut milk or Moonnampaal.) 

Step: 4 

Wash and clean the raw rice and green gram. 

Step: 5 

Roast the green gram in one tablespoon of ghee over a medium flame until the roasted smell rises. This process takes approximately 4 minutes.

Step: 6 

Add the raw rice into the roasted green gram and mix for a few seconds, then add the third press coconut milk. Cover and cook until it’s done. This process takes approximately 15 minutes.

Step: 7 

Meanwhile, melt jaggery in one cup of water in a pan over medium heat. Allow it to boil until the jaggery is completely melted. Keep stirring in between. 

Step: 8 

Strain the syrup through a mesh sieve into the cooked rice and green gram mix. Add two tablespoons of ghee and then cook until the mix becomes thick. It takes approximately 5 minutes.

Step: 9 

Add the second press coconut milk and the soaked sabudana, again cook over a low flame until the mix thickens further. 

Step: 10 

Add the ground cardamom-nutmeg mix into the payasam and mix well to evenly distribute the flavour. 

Step: 11 

Next, add the first press thick coconut milk and cook for a minute over low heat and switch off the flame. Keep stirring until the milk is incorporated. Make sure not to boil after adding the first press milk, otherwise it will curdle.

Step: 12 

Finally, in a pan fry the coconut chips, cashews and raisins in ½ tsp of ghee. Add it to the payasam.  Serve warm or cold as per your choice 

Note:  If you use readymade coconut milk. Buy 1 (500ml) can of thick coconut milk, shake well and pour 200 ml content in a bowl and dilute with 2 cups of water for making Onnampal. For Randampal, dilute 150 ml content in 2 ½ cups of water and for Moonnampal, dilute the remaining 150 ml content in 3 cups of water. 

Recipe courtesy: Sobha Varghese is a homemaker based in Mumbai, India. Sobha runs a popular YouTube blog called ‘Sobha's Kitchenette’ that focuses on authentic and traditional Kerala recipes.