Foxtail Millet Payasam (Korrala/ Thinai Payasam)

Blogging Marathon# 42: Week 1/ Day 1
Theme: All about Millets
Dish: Foxtail Millet Payasam (Korrala Payasam/ Thinai Payasam)

We are getting ready for our upcoming summer vacation to India. My son's been talking about this trip for weeks now and he definitely wants to go to McDonald's and get his Happy Meal toy. I'm excited too to visit my family and spend time with my mom. Shopping is also on my to-do list.

So for the final day of this week's marathon, I made a dessert with foxtail millet. This dish is the millet version of paravannam or rice pudding. I cooked the millet in water and added some whole milk to give some richness to the dish. I used jaggery and a little bit of sugar to sweeten it.

This paravannam turned out just as hearty and delicious as the one made with rice. It tastes best when served warm, but it tasted pretty good right out of the fridge.

Ingredients:
Foxtail Millet/ korralu/ Thinai - ½cup
Milk - ¼cup
Jaggery - 2~3tbsp (adjust as per taste preference)
Sugar - 1~2tbsp (adjust as per taste preference)
Ground Cardamom - ¼tsp
Cashews & Raisins - 2tsp each

Method:

• Combine millet with 2 cups of water and pressure cook on medium-low flame for 4~6 whistles. Millet can be cooked in a saucepan until all the water is absorbed and the millet is cooked thoroughly, this will take about 25~30 minutes. You might have to add more water.
• In the meantime, ghee 2tsp ghee in a small pan and fry the nuts & raisins until golden. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Once the pressure subsides on the cooker, open the lid and add the milk and ground cardamom. Simmer for 2~3 minutes. Add more milk if you like thinner Payasam. 
• Turn off the heat and add the sweeteners. Mix well, add the fried nuts and raisins; let sit for 5~10 minutes before serving.

Lets check out what my fellow marathoners have cooked today for BM# 42.