How to make tender coconut payasam from scratch
Made from tender coconut water and flesh, this payasam is unlike the jaggery-heavy classics.
Made from tender coconut water and flesh, this payasam is unlike the jaggery-heavy classics.
Made from tender coconut water and flesh, this payasam is unlike the jaggery-heavy classics.
Every Onam table needs a payasam. Some families swear by palada, others by ada pradhaman. But if you are looking for something light, cooling, and quietly elegant, turn to ilaneer payasam—or as many call it in Kerala, karikku payasam.
Made from tender coconut water and flesh, this payasam is unlike the jaggery-heavy classics. It carries the freshness of Kerala’s favourite drink, karikku vellam, yet transforms it into a celebratory dessert. Creamy but never cloying, fragrant with cardamom, and textured with soft coconut pieces.
This Onam, make space for ilaneer payasam on your banana leaf. It’s proof that even the humblest ingredient—the tender coconut—can turn into a dish worth celebrating.
Ingredients
1 cup tender coconut water
1 cup tender coconut flesh
½ cup condensed milk
2 cups milk
¼ cup sugar
½ tsp cardamom powder
¼ cup nuts (cashews, almonds, or pistachios), lightly roasted
Preparation
Set aside half the tender coconut flesh
Blend the rest with all the tender coconut water until silky. Keep aside
In a thick-bottomed pan, heat the milk
Add condensed milk and sugar, stirring until the mixture reduces by half
Pour in the blended tender coconut mixture. Stir well
Fold in the coconut pieces reserved earlier
Sprinkle cardamom and roasted nuts. Stir gently
Enjoy ilaneer payasam warm or chilled—both ways, it’s unforgettable.