Banana Ghee Payasam

This banana payasam recipe slow cooks ripe Nendran bananas in Kshetra Veda Gir Cow Bilona Ghee and sweetens them with raw honey instead of jaggery.

Equipment

• Heavy bottomed pan or uruli 
• Steamer or idli pot
• Small tadka pan
• Wooden spatula

 Ingredients

• For the payasam
• Easy Kerala, South Indian Dessert 3 ripe Nendran bananas, about 450 g (or 6 to 8 Yelakki bananas)
• 2 tbsp (26 g) Kshetra Veda Gir Cow Bilona Ghee
• 1.5 cups (360 ml) thin coconut milk
• 1 cup (240 ml) thick coconut milk
• 4 to 5 tbsp Kshetra Veda Raw Multifloral Honey, to taste
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
•  ¼ tsp dry ginger powder (sukku)
• A pinch of salt

For the tempering

• 1 tbsp Kshetra Veda Gir Cow Bilona Ghee
• 12 cashews
• 1 tbsp raisins
•  2 tbsp thin coconut slivers 

Method

1. Steam the bananas (10 min). Steam whole, unpeeled bananas for 8 to 10 minutes, until the skin splits and the flesh is soft.
2. Prepare the bananas (3 min). Peel the bananas. If using Nendran, remove the black seedy core from the centre. Mash to a coarse purée. Some small chunks give the payasam a good texture.
3. Cook the banana in ghee (10 to 12 min). Heat 2 tbsp ghee on low to medium heat. Add the purée and keep stirring. It is ready when it turns deep golden, thickens and comes away from the sides of the pan.
4. Add the thin coconut milk (8 min). Pour it in and simmer gently, stirring often to stop it catching on the bottom.
5. Add the thick coconut milk (2 min). Stir in the thick coconut milk, cardamom, dry ginger and salt. Warm it through, but do not let it boil, or the coconut milk will split.
6. Cool, then sweeten (5 to 7 min). Turn off the heat and let the payasam cool until it is warm rather than hot. Stir in the honey one spoon at a time, tasting as you go.
7. Temper (3 min). Heat 1 tbsp ghee. Fry the coconut slivers until golden, then the cashews, then the raisins until they puff up. Pour everything, including the ghee, over the payasam.

Tips

•  Use ripe bananas. Nendran bananas with black spots on the skin are the sweetest and need less honey.
• Add the honey last. Adding it once the payasam has cooled keeps its floral flavour.
•  Adjust the thickness. For a thinner payasam, add another ½ cup of thin coconut milk. For a thicker one, cook the banana in step 3 for longer.

 Variations

• With dairy milk: Replace both coconut milks with 750 ml full fat milk reduced to 500 ml. Add the banana once the milk has reduced.
• Sago version: Add 2 tbsp soaked sago in step 4.

Serving and storage

•  Serve warm, or chilled in summer.
•  Store covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. It will thicken as it cools, so loosen it with a little coconut milk and warm it gently.

FAQs

•  Can I use jaggery instead of honey? Yes. Melt 100 g jaggery with 2 tbsp water, strain it, and add it in step 4.
•  Why did my payasam split? The thick coconut milk boiled. Keep the heat low once it is in.
•  Which bananas work best? Nendran is the traditional choice. Yelakki is a good substitute.