Coconut and Rice Kheer ( Payasam)

Coconut and Rice kheer is a South Indian dessert cooked generally for festivals and occasions.

Ingredients:

• Basmati rice - 3 tbsp
• Shredded coconut - 1/2 cup
• Milk - 5 cups
• Condensed milk - 1 can (14 oz)
• Cardamom - 4 count
• Saffron - 4 to 5 string
• Broken cashew nut - 2 tbsp
• Raisins - 8 count (I used golden raisins)
• Ghee (clarified butter) - 1 tsp

Method of Preparation:

1. Heat milk in a thick bottomed vessel and bring it to boil.
2. Simmer the stove and keep stirring the milk till it become 1/3 of the quantity.
3. In between, dry roast the basmati rice and grind it to big pieces. Just pulse the mixer grinder to get big pieces.
4. Cook the rice separately with twice the amount of milk. You can either cook the rice on stove top or microwave.
5. When the milk becomes 1/3 rd of the quantity, add the condensed milk and stir well.
6. Let it be in low heat for 5 minutes. Keep stirring.
7. Now add the cooked rice and coconut and cook for 10 minutes.
8. Once it becomes thick and creamy remove it from heat and add the ground cardamom and saffron strings and mix well
9. Heat a tsp of ghee in a small pan and add cashew nuts and raisins.
10. Once the cashew nut becomes golden brown, remove from heat and add it to the kheer.