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Nei Payasam or Sharkara Payasam: The Kerala Temple-Style Rice, Jaggery and Ghee Kheer

Nei Payasam | Sharkara Payasam

Aruna
Nei Payasam is the legendary Kerala rice and jaggery payasam laden with ghee (nei). Served piping hot as prasadam at temples, this payasam is delicious, gooey, and simply food for Gods.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Course Dessert, Naivedyam, Sweet
Cuisine Gluten Free, Indian, Indian Temple Cuisine, Kerala, South Indian, Vegetarian
Servings 6 People
Calories 424 kcal
Equipment
  • Heavy-bottomed vessel (1 ltr capacity)
  • Vessel to cook rice
  • Pressure Cooker (Optional)
  • Ladle
Ingredients
  
  • 1/2 Cup Rice See Notes
  • 1.5 Cup Jaggery
  • 1/2 Cup Ghee
  • 1/2 tsp Cardamom Powder
  • 1.5 Cups Water
Optional
  • 1 tbsp Ghee
  • 1 tbsp Finely Chopped Coconut
Instructions
 
Cooking the Rice
  • Wash 1/2 cup rice well under running water.
  • Add 1.5 cup water and pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles. You can also cook on open flame. Over medium heat, cook the rice till it is very soft.
  • Let the cooker depressurise naturally and remove the rice from the cooker.
  • Using a heavy ladle mix the rice well so that it is mashed a bit. Don’t mash it completely.
Making the Jaggery Syrup
  • To 1.5 cups of grated dark coloured jaggery (or jaggery powder), add 1/2 cup water.
  • Over medium flame, heat this mix till the jaggery melts completely.
Making the Nei Payasam
  • Now add the cooked rice and mix well.
  • Let the rice and jaggery mix cook together for 5 minutes.
  • Finally add 1/4 cup ghee, 1/2 tsp cardamom powder, and mix well.
  • Over medium flame, let the Nei Payasam cook for 7 to 10 minutes. Keep stirring at regular intervals.
{Optional} The Finishing Touch
  • Heat 1 tbsp of ghee.
  • Add 2 tbsp finely chopped coconut pieces.
  • Stir-fry the coconut pieces till they start changing colour and become light brown.
  • Add to the Nei Payasam and mix well.
Serving and Storing Suggestions
  • Offer the Nei Payasam as naivedyam and serve as prasadam.
  • The Nei Payasam stays fresh at room temperature for several days. Just reheat it before serving it.
Notes
  • Use relatively freshly harvested rice (3 to 4 months old) to make this Payasam as this rice will become very soft after cooking.
  • In Kerala, they use a special kind of rice called Unakkalari rice to make this Nei Payasam.
  • I find that Nei Payasam tastes the best when it is piping hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 424 kcalCarbohydrates: 63 gProtein: 1 gFat: 18 gSaturated Fat: 11 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1 gMonounsaturated Fat: 5 gCholesterol: 45 mgSodium: 4 mgPotassium: 23 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 51 gVitamin C: 1 mgCalcium: 24 mgIron: 1 mg
Keyword Bhagavati Sevai Prasadam, Kheer, Nei Payasam, Payasam, Sharkara Payasam
Tried this recipe?Do let me know how you liked it @aahaaram or tag #aahaaram!