Dates Payasam (Kheer) | Onam Sadya Recipes

It's best time of year with all the festivals while we have Ganesh Ustav on-going Onam is also around the corner and people celebrating Vishu must be already preparing Onam Sadya menu and doing all the preparation.  Onam is Hindu festival celebrated in Kerala - western southern state of India though it's a festival celebrated by all in Kerala.

Onam and Sadya goes hand and hand, the wide spread of dishes like steamed rice, parippu, sambar, pulissery, avial, rasam, throan, puli inji, mango pickle, erissery, kaalan, olan, theeyal, pachadi, kichadi, pappadam, upperi, pazham, banana chips, payasam, pradhaman and the list has many more on banana leaf is treat and it's truly enjoyed more on Onam than any other day of the year.

Sweet is important part of any menu and Onam Sadya is no different, variety of payasam and pradhaman is served like moong dal payasam, semiya payasam, aval payasam, shrkkara (paal) payasam, dates payasam etc.  This dates is very simple and made with only few ingredients it's also sugar-free.  Dates I used were very sweet so I didn't added any sugar but if you prefer extra sweet then add sugar or condense milk and enjoy this delicious kheer not only on Onam but any day.

Other Onam Sadya Recipes you can check

• Parippu Payasam | Moong Dal Payasam
• Unniyappam
• Semiya Payasam
• Aval Paysam
• Parippu Vada

Dates Payasam | Khajura Kheer Recipe

Datse Payasam is popular Kerala paysam recipe made mostly during Onam/Vishu for Onam Sadya.

Author:	Priti	Category:	Sweets/Desserts	Cuisine:	South Indian
Prep Time:	15 Mins	Cook Time:	25 Mins	Total Time:	40 Mins
Serves:	2-3

Ingredients:

• 3/4 Cup - Dates/Khajur
• 2 Cups - Milk
• 1.5 Cups - Water
• 1 tsp - Ghee
• 10-12 - Halved Cashews
• 1/2 tbsp - Raisins
• 1/2 tsp - Fresh Cardamom Powder

Method:

1. Pit dates and finely chop it. Keep dates outside over night or a day before if you keep dates in fridge.
2. In a vessel bring milk to boil and simmer in slow flame until needed.

3. While milk getting boiled, in a pan or wok heat ghee and saute cashew nuts and raisins until golden brown keep aside.
4. In the same pan add chopped dates and saute for a minute. 

5.  Add water and cook dates until it gets fully mashed and the mixture becomes thick around 8-10 minutes in medium to slow flame.

6. Add boiled milk to dates mixture and bring it to good boil. Add dry fruits, cardamom powder and simmer for 5 minutes in slow flame until payasam/kheer becomes thick.

Serve hot/warm/cold or at room temperature.

Notes

• If you want sweeter version add 1-2 tbsp sugar or 1-2 tbsp of condense milk to make it more creamy.
• For Vegan version, saute cashew nuts and raisins in 1 tsp oil or dry roast it until light brown and replace milk with coconut milk.

Relish the delicious sugar-free kheer/payasam.