Gothambu Payasam / Nurukku Gothambu Payasam / Gothambu Pradhaman/ Broken wheat payasam

Gothambu payasam is made with broken wheat,cooked and thickened, sweetened and made creamy with jaggery and coconut milk. A delicious dessert made in Kerala for the sadya (feast) .

Trivandrum Hindu wedding feasts are phenomenal with 4 elaborate dessert rounds, large helping of payasams in the middle of feast. If you have never had a nadan sadya there then it is a must try. Don't be surprised if you decide to walk on four legs after that, thats bcos of the wt of the food u had :))))

I cannot tell you how partial I have been to Chakka Pradhaman (Jackfruit dessert) and Ada pradhaman (Rice dessert) or Paal payasam (Milk dessert) with boli that I have completely ignored gothambu payasam until my last vacation. My tastes have changed.

 At one of his cousin's engagement feast, they were serving  the nurukku gothambu payasam  hurriedly from the opposite end of the room. Usually I would comically shake both my hands above the plantain leaf to gesture 'no' to the servers sorry, my mouth would be too stuffed to speak :)) but this time the  naadan food hungry Malayalee of yours  decided to go with the flow and give the payasam a try.  I am not exaggerating but the payasam was really superb, I felt  it was not jelly- like or clumpy like the ones i have had before. The gothambu payasam, this time, was a beautiful caramel brownish thick yet flowy liquid that rested well on the plantain leaf  on the same spot where I had just finished  the paal payasam squeaky clean with all my right fingers, u may read as licked :))

Whatever it is here is a new convert!

Ingredients:
Broken wheat/ Sooji Gothambu/ Nurukku Gothambu - 1 cup (I used #Niraparabrand)
Jaggery- 500 gms
Thin coconut milk - 2 cups
Thick coconut milk -1 cup
Ghee- 2 tbsp
Cardamom powdered -3 pods
Cashewnuts - 1-2 tbsp
Raisins - 1tbsp or less
Coconut sliced bits - 2 tbsp (fresh)

Method:
1.Wash the broken wheat well and let it soak for 20 minutes. Pressure cook it adding 3 cups of water for 2 whistles or until done not mashed. Or cook in an open pot until done. Note: discard the water and wash the cooked wheat once and strain well to remove its starch else the payasam will become too starchy, thick and sticky.
2.Melt jaggery adding 1/2 glass water. Keep it aside while the wheat is cooking.
In a wide mouthed deep pan (use urli if u have)add a tsp of ghee (so it won't stick to bottom)(I don't add) Mix the cooked wheat and jaggery melted cook on medium to low flame  till the broken wheat absorbs the jaggery and shrinks a bit and it thickens. Now carefully pour the thin coconut milk and keep stirring on low flame until it boils well and large bubbles appear all over and some of the coconut milk is absorbed by the wheat. Then add cardamom powder give it a minute or two.
4. Pour thick coconut milk let it just heat up not boil then switch off the flame.(else it will split and look curdled if boiled)
5.Heat another small pan and add rest of ghee when it heats add into it the coconut bits allow it to turn brownish, remove it, then fry the cashews to light brown then the raisins (allow it to balloon .. . .)
Pour the hot ghee as well as the fried coconut,nuts and raisins on top of the pradhaman. Cover the utensil 3/4 th. Mix the gothambu pradhaman while serving so the dry fruits and flavor of ghee is evenly distributed.

Gothambu payasam / Pradhaman can be served warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate the leftover payasam in a neat and dry air tight container never in the utensil u prepared the payasam as it will spoil easily.

Note: As the nurukku gothambu payasam sits it will thicken so when u make keep the consistency required in mind. U may add roasted jeerakam ,chukku (dry ginger)powder etc if u like in 1/2 tsp or so and increase according to taste.
We love the pradhaman really thick but if u want to make it slightly runny u may add diluted coconut milk heated not boiled. Do not keep it for long once u have done so much stirring and repairing as pradhaman may get spoiled.
Add fewer raisins and more of nuts and coconut as the payasam sits it will become sour easily
(tips adapted from cookery show)

The dessert can be made for vegan and lactose intolerant by substituting ghee with oil(use less cooking oil).

WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY VISHU.

Hope you like it.
Meena