Pal Vazhakka / Malabar Kaai Curry / Sago Payasam with Ripe Plantain

Kozhikode Special .... Especially made during Ramadan time....

Ingredients

Sago/Saboodana: 1/2 Cup

Milk: 4 Cups

Sugar: 1/2 Cup

Ripe Banana / Nendrapazham/Ethakka: 1 Big

Ghee: 1 Table Spoon

Cardmom Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon

Cashew nuts & Raisins: Few

Water: 1 Cup

Cooking Time: 30 Minutes

Method

Soak Sago in water for some time

Chop the banana to small pieces

To a pan pour ghee and fry cashew nuts, raisins and chopped banana.  Saute well and  keep aside.

To a heavy bottomed pan pour milk and let it boil

Once it boils reduce the flame and add soaked sago and stir well and cook until done

Add sugar and the fried banana cashew nuts mix and cook for some more time

Sprinkle the cardamom powder and switch off the flame.  Serve warm or cold

Note: 

You can follow the same procedure and make this dish using coconut milk

Some people add shallots fried in ghee at the end.  You can try that too.  

Chowari Payasam / Sago Payasam / Sabudana Kheer

Yummyyyyyyyyy !!!!

Ingredients

Chowari/Sago/Sabudana/Tapioca Pearls: 1 Cup
Water: 3 Cups
Milk: 3 Cups
Sugar: 8 Table Spoon
Saffron: A few strands soaked in 1 table spoon of milk
Cashew nuts and Raisins fried in ghee: Optional

Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Method

Soak chowari in 2 cups of water till it swells up and becomes soft ( 3 to 4 hours)

To a pan pour milk, 1 cup of water and sugar and mix well
Drain water from the soaked chowari and add it to the milk mix and cook on medium flame
Keep stirring and cook for about 20 minutes. By the time the mixture will start to thicken and chowari will be cooked well
Switch off the flame and add soaked saffron to it and combine well
Can add cashew nuts and raisins fried in ghee if you wish to
Keep aside and let it cool
Serve cold

Note:
Increase or decrease the sugar as per your wish
Can add condensed milk if you like it to be more sweet
At the end can add a pinch of cardamom powder or 2 to 3 drops of rose water
I personally like adding rose water and without cashew nuts and raisins.
I also add little evaporated milk at the end to give it that light pink color.