← Back to Karupu Kavuni Rice Flakes

“Karupu Kavuni payasam was the prasadam at certain temples in Thanjavur district. When you bring a bowl to the table it silences the room — the colour is so extraordinary that people pause before they eat. And then they eat and forget everything else.”

Ingredients

Sree Kumaran Karupu Kavuni Rice Flakes	½ cup
Full fat milk	2½ cups
Thick coconut milk	1 cup
Palm jaggery or Karupatti, grated	½ cup
Cardamom powder	½ tsp
Cashews fried in ghee	10
Sree Kumaran A2 Ghee	1 tbsp

Method

1. Heat milk in a heavy saucepan until boiling. Add Karupu Kavuni flakes, stirring immediately. The milk will turn a dramatic deep purple within moments.
2. Cook on medium-low, stirring every 3 minutes, for 20–22 minutes until completely dissolved and thickened into a creamy, dark pudding.
3. Dissolve palm jaggery in 2 tablespoons of warm water and strain. Remove payasam from heat and stir in the jaggery syrup slowly. Adding jaggery off the heat prevents curdling.
4. Return to the lowest heat. Stir in thick coconut milk and cardamom powder. Warm through for 2 minutes without boiling.
5. Serve in small cups. Top with ghee-fried cashews. This payasam is extraordinary at room temperature — the flavours deepen as it cools.