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Elaneer payasam (Kerala tender-coconut milk pudding)
Chilled reduced milk with soft tender-coconut flesh, coconut water and cardamom
In Kerala, where green coconuts are sold by the roadside all summer, elaneer payasam is the cool, delicate cousin of the hot temple payasams. It turns up at Vishu lunches and summer weddings, and on any hot afternoon when someone has opened a few tender coconuts. Milk is boiled down until creamy and faintly caramel, sweetened, chilled, and only then mixed with slippery spoonfuls of young coconut flesh and a little of its water, so the coconut stays fresh and floral rather than cooked. The pudding is pourable, silky and cold, with soft white strands of coconut through it; serve it in small glasses after a meal or alongside banana chips. It is naturally egg-free: the long reduction of the milk, helped by a little condensed milk, gives the body that a custard would get from yolks. Chef's tip: the common mistake is stirring the coconut water into hot milk, which can make it split and taste sour; let the milk cool completely first.
- Total time
- 165 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the milk base
- 4 ¼ cups full-fat milk
- 3 ½ oz sugar
- 5 ½ oz sweetened condensed milk
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
For the coconut
- 9 oz tender coconut fleshfrom 2–3 green coconuts, soft and jelly-like
- ¾ cup tender coconut waterfrom the same coconuts
To garnish
- 1 tsp ghee (optional)
- ½ oz cashew nuts (optional)halved
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Bring 4 ¼ cups full-fat milk to the boil in a wide heavy pan over a medium heat, stirring the base so it doesn't catch.
8 minStep 2: Lower the heat and simmer, scraping the sides back in every few minutes, until the milk has reduced to about 650 ml and turned creamy ivory.
15 minStep 3: Stir in 3 ½ oz sugar and 5 ½ oz sweetened condensed milk and simmer for 2 minutes more, until the milk coats the back of a spoon. Turn off the heat and add ½ tsp ground cardamom.
2 minStep 4: Cool the milk to room temperature, then chill for at least 2 hours, until very cold.
120 minStep 5: Meanwhile, scoop out 9 oz tender coconut flesh and chop half of it finely; blend the other half to a smooth purée with 50 ml of the coconut water.
Step 6: Stir the purée, the chopped coconut and the rest of ¾ cup tender coconut water into the cold milk. Taste: it should be sweet but light.
Step 7: If using, fry ½ oz cashew nuts in 1 tsp ghee over a low heat for 2 minutes until golden, and scatter over just before serving.
2 minStep 8: Serve chilled in small glasses. It keeps for a day in the fridge; stir before serving.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does elaneer payasam (Kerala tender-coconut milk pudding) take?
- About 165 minutes in total: 140 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of full-fat milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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Perfect for:Onam & Vishu