Sago (Javvarisi) Banana Payasam / Sago Banana Pudding

This is a sure late Onam Special and with my own twists to it, but I did feel like posting this as you don't really need a special occasion to have payasam. It can even be a weekend dessert, so give it a try and let me know what you think. As always I don't finish bananas very quickly and this calls me to try and make something different with them. This time I had more ripe bananas on my counter top and I just don't like throwing fruits away, now which good cook would do that? 

So I did try to search for banana payasam recipes and somehow I did not find what I was looking for, although there were so many of them from pressure cooking banana to coconut milk based banana payasam. This one is little different I have used Sago (javvarisi) and its a no coconut recipe, healthy with Indian brown sugar or jaggery.

Cook time ~ 10 mins

Prep time ~ 3 hrs (for soaking sago)

Recipe ~ Own

Ingredients

4 ripe Bananas (I used Cavendish banana, the most easily available ones)

Powdered Jaggery - 5 tbsp

Milk - 1/4 cup

Cardamom powder - a generous pinch

Sago/ Javvarisi - 1/2 cup

water - 1 cup to soak sago

cashew - 6-8 pieces

golden raisins - 6-8 pieces

Ghee - 2 tsp

Method

Making Sago/Javvarisi -

• Wash and soak Sago/Javvarisi in cold water for 3 hours
• In a milk pan heat water and add the soaked sago and let it boil for 3-4 minutes until you see it turning transparent. Do not over cook it.
• Strain it and wash it under cold running water for a 30 seconds, keep it aside

Making Payasam -

• Peel the bananas and cut them in half, blend it in a mixie/ food processor until nice and fine. You can also choose to mash it well. 
• In a deep pan/vessel add 1 tsp ghee, fry the chopped nuts and dry fruits and keep it aside. 
• Add 1 tsp ghee to the same vessel and when its just getting to heat add the banana puree and keep stirring in medium flame. After a minute when you find the banana cooking add the powdered jaggery and let it melt, stirring well. To this add the cardamom powder and bring it to a medium flame. 
• Add the cooked sago, if you find it sticky just wash it again in cold running water strain well and add this to the boiling mixture. Give it a minute to cook with the other ingredients. Now bring the flame to low and add milk, keep stirring gently until well combined. Don't let it boil too much as the milk can get curdled.
• Garnish with the fried nuts and fruits 

Serve warm/ cold.

Tips

• Soaking the sago and cooking it well is key for this recipe and never over cook it when you find it turning transparent just taste one and see to check if its chewy.
• I used powdered jaggery so I directly added the jaggery to the mashed banana, in case you are using the usual jaggery make sure you bring it to a boil in another vessel with water and strain it to the banana puree
• You can also add chopped coconut if you fancy it
• You can even chop the banana and use it as a mash/ even pressure cook it.
• You can add ordinary sugar and try the same recipe but the jaggery gives color and flavor to the payasam.