Palada payasam

Method

1. 1 Knead the rice flour with hot water until it forms a dough, then roll it out thinly and spread it onto a banana leaf.
2. 2 Steam the dough sheets for 12 minutes, then peel them and cut them into small squares.
3. 3 Making your own rice flour noodles is what distinguishes them from those using pre-made noodles; their texture is therefore soft yet chewy.
4. 4 Blanch the rice flour in boiling water for 2 minutes, then rinse with cold water to prevent sticking.
5. 5 Heat the milk until it reduces to two-thirds of its original volume, then add the sugar and grated coconut, and finally add the tapioca pearls.
6. 6 Cook for another 12 minutes over low heat, then sprinkle with cardamom, cashews, and roasted ghee raisins.

With an appliance

• Oven 1 hr 50 min

  Replace step 5: simmer the milk, sugar, and coconut in a wide saucepan on the bottom rack of a 150-degree oven for 30 minutes, stirring once midway until reduced to two-thirds; this is about 5 minutes longer than on the stovetop, but the milk won't burn and you won't need to constantly monitor it. The steamed and blanched dough leaves from steps 1–4 are then simply added to the stovetop and cooked for 12 minutes as in step 6 to retain their soft and chewy texture.