Paramannam /Sweet Rice Pudding

This is a sweet dish which is prepared as a Naivedyam to God in almost every home in Andhra and on a daily basis. The dish is very easy to prepare and can be prepared in 2 different variations. This can be prepared either with jaggery (Bellam) or with Sugar.

Ingredients:

· 1/2 cup raw rice washed and drained

· 1/2 cup sugar or grated jaggery

· 1 let milk

· 1/4 tsp ground green cardamom

· fried cashew nuts and raisins for garnish

· 1 tbsp ghee(clarified butter)for frying cashew nuts and raisins

Method:

· Wash and soak rice in water for about 5 minutes.

· Heat a pan and bring milk to a boil.

· Lower heat and add the rice to the milk.

· Cook until the rice is soft and the mixture looks thick.

· Remove from heat and cool.

· Add the sugar (or) Jaggery and mix well and keep stirring till it mixes well.

· Heat ghee in a skillet and add cashew nuts.

· Fry for 1-2 mts till the cashew nuts turn light brown. Add raisins and stir for a few seconds.

· Add this along with the remaining ghee to the cooked rice.

· Add cardamom powder and turn off heat and keep covered for 5 minutes.

· Serve hot or cold.