With These Simple Steps, Make Kerala's Famous Aravana Payasam

During the month of the Kartika, numerous followers break their fast and embark on a pilgrimage to Sabarimala to seek the blessings of Ayyappa. Aravana Payasam, a distinctive offering, is commonly enjoyed during this occasion. Discover an easy way to prepare Aravana Payasam in the comfort of your home.

Ingredients required

Rice – 200 grams

Black jaggery – 1 Kg

Ghee – 250 ml

Cardamom powder – 2 tbsp

Coconut pieces – Handful

Steps to cook tasty payasam

You can find red rice at any supermarket.

Cook 200 grams of the rice thoroughly in a standard bowl.

You’ll need 1 kg of black jaggery, water as needed, 250 ml of ghee, and 2 tbsp of cardamom powder for this preparation.

Begin by dissolving the jaggery and straining it.

Place the strained jaggery on the stove, bring it to a boil, and then add the rice, mixing it on a medium flame.

Remember to incorporate some ghee during the rice cooking process.

In a separate pan, sauté green leaves in ghee.

Garnish ghee and coconut pieces to the rice and jaggery mixture.

Include cardamom powder during the cooking process.

Ensure you turn off the stove at medium heat to prevent the mixture from becoming overly soft, preventing the rice from sticking to your teeth when consuming the payasam.

Your Super Aravana Payasam is now ready. Traditionally, this payasam is offered as Prasad in various villages across Kerala, including being presented to Ayyappa during rituals.

The best part of this traditional Kerala Red Rice Payasam is its extended shelf life, lasting for weeks if not months. This allows you to prepare it once and savour it over an extended period, provided you exercise some willpower and consume it in small quantities.

Aravana Payasam is cooked using matta rice or parboiled red rice, distinguished by plumper grains and a chewier texture compared to regular rice.

In the preparation of this rice kheer, the rice undergoes frying in generous amounts of ghee before the cooking process. Consequently, the rice in this dish attains a firm texture after cooking, which might seem undercooked to those unfamiliar with the method.

Aravana Payasam is enriched with the flavours of fried coconut pieces, whole green cardamom, and dried ginger powder (Chukku or Soonth), contributing to its delightful aroma.