Vegan Jackfruit Kheer/Payasam

Jackfruit is our newest favorite thing to snack on between meals. We get ours precut from Asian stores often which is found in the refrigerated section. For this particular recipe, you can also use the canned ones or frozen ones if fresh ones are not available.

This is the first time I tried this Udupi-style kheer/ payasam which is vegan. It is made using coconut milk and jaggery and is flavored with cardamom powder. Thank you, Uma of Desidelectable for this delicious recipe. Please check out her blog for more vegetarian recipes.

Ingredients:

 2 cups chopped Jackfruit

1 can coconut milk

2 tbsp chopped almonds

1/2 cup Jaggery powder

1/2 cup water

1 tbsp ghee/clarified butter

1/4 cup Suji / Semolina (optional)

1 tsp Cardamom powder

A pinch of saffron strands

Method:

• Heat a pan, add Suji and roast it for few mins until it’s fragrant. Remove suji in a bowl and set aside

• Heat Jaggery and water in the same pan and simmer it until all the Jaggery melts.

 

• Add water and add chopped jackfruit and let it boil for 10 mins until jackfruit is half done. Cover it with the lid.

   

• Add roasted suji and mix it until it’s well combined and the mixture should slightly thicken.

• Add coconut milk and let it simmer for another 5 mins.

• Add Cardamom powder and turn off the flame.
• Heat ghee in a small container, add almonds and roast then and add this to the kheer.
• Garnish the kheer with few strands of saffron.

Notes:

1. Using Rava is totally optional. I have seen recipes people have used rice instead of Rava. 

2. You can soak saffron strands in a tablespoon coconut milk and then add it to the kheer.