A Taste of Home

Passport & Plate - Coconut Milk Tapioca Pudding (Payasam)

Sri Lanka | Friday, March 6, 2015 | 5 photos

Ingredients
1/2 cup tapioca pearls
tablespoon butter
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup cashews
cinnamon stick or tsp of cinnamon powder
4 cardamom pods
1 tbsp honey (or to taste if you prefer less sweet) or 1 tbsp refined sugar/brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut milk
pinch of salt

 

How to prepare this recipe
Total Time – 25 minutes

1. Put tapioca in a saucepan and heat on low for 2 minutes or until light brown. Make sure you are stirring constantly or tapioca may burn.
2. Pour ¾ a cup of water over tapioca and bring to a simmer at medium heat
3. Once at a simmer, turn down to very very low heat, and cook tapioca until it becomes clear (approximately 10-15 minutes). Stir constantly.
4. While tapioca is simmering, toast raisins and cashews with butter in a frying pan with butter until golden brown. Set aside
5. Once tapioca is clear and has a thick texture, add honey/sugar, a pinch of salt, cinnamon stick and cardamom. Feel free to add in more honey/sugar if sweeter pudding is desired.
6. Add in raisins and cashews. Mix well.
7. Stir in coconut milk and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Pudding texture should be thick and creamy.
8. Remove cinnamon stick and cardamom pods with spoon.
9. Serve warm, or refrigerate overnight and serve cold. (I prefer it cold!!)

 

The story behind this recipe
When I was 18, I moved to the city of London, ON, Canada for university. Although a quaint little city, London lacked the diversity, the familiarity, the comfort, and most importantly the food that was in my parent's house in Toronto, Canada. After complaining for 4 months, on the lack of curry and spiced desserts available in London, my mother taught me how to make this recipe on a trip home.

Since then, whether living in London, ON, Brussels, Belgium or Toronto Canada, this recipe has always reminded me of home.