Javvarisi payasam

In many households the thai vellikizhamai,  Fridays that fall in the Tamil month of Thai are observed with special prayers. Some of us prepare the maavilakku and offer. Some extra dishes are prepared as the neivedhyam on all the four (sometimes five) Fridays. Thus this year too, I prepared some for the Friday prayers. Every week of the month, I prepare one payasam and vadai to offer as neivedhyam.
Tapioca farming and small scale sago production units can be found around my hometown. So, on many occasions this was the choice for the payasam. During one of my home visits my father had asked a client to bring a few kilos of sago. This was to send to my sister, after being powdered in a commercial mill. She wanted the sago powder to starch  her cottons. But the person had brought home a sack full that was way too much. We sent it to the 'machine' to be powdered. But sago has a tendency to get sticky with the starch content. The mill assistant refused to powder any further, that would damage his vent. My mother does not easily give up and tried with her mixie. I convinced her that she cannot possibly get the entire quantity done and offered to take some sago pearls for use in my home. Thus I have about 1/2 kilogram left in my pantry. I decided to use some in the payasam. that was offered and consumed.

Ingredients:
Serves 2 people
150 millilitres milk
2 tablespoons sago pearls
2 teaspoons ghee
1/8 cup sugar
5-6 cashew nuts broken
1/4 teaspoon powdered cardamom

Method:
Place a heavy bottom pan on the stove and heat one teaspoon ghee. Add the sago pearls and lightly roast them until they are light brown and puffed up.
Roast the cashew nuts in the other teaspoon of ghee and keep aside.
In the same pan, heat some water and a little of the milk. Add the roasted sago and stir well and continuously. Add more water and cook the sago until the balls are transparent.
When the sago has been cooked, add the sugar and allow to blend.
Finally add the milk and bring to a boil. Simmer just for a few minutes. Remove from the fire.
Add the ghee roasted cashews and the cardamom powder.

You may also not roast the sago. But roasting adds to the flavour and also removes the stickiness from the sago pearls.
Serve the payasam warm. if left to chill, the payasam will thicken. If that happens, add some more warm milk and stir well before serving.