Beets Pasta Payasam / Beets Pasta Kheer

I always prepare Payasam/Kheer for all special occasions at home. As today also a special day as its viji;s birthday i prepared this Beets Pasta Payasam. This is my first try with beets and pasta combo, have tried pasta/macaroni payasam before but the combo turned out so good. My H who doesn't like Pasta in any way loved this creamy beets pasta kheer. I usually add ground nuts powder to my payasam but for a change i added ground almond & cashew paste. Over all a rich, creamy and delicious payasam. So give it a try to impress your family and guest with this colourful and delicious Beets Pasta Payasam. Here you go...

Preparation Time : 20 minutes

Cooking Time : 20-25 minutes

Serves  4

Ingredients

1. Pasta   1/2 cup or less
2. Beet root    1 medium 
3. Milk     3-4 cups
4. Sugar     1/4 cup + 2 tbsp
5. Cardamom powder   1/4 tsp or 4 crushed cardamom
6. Almonds     10 no.s
7. Cashew nuts    8-10 no.s
8. For Garnishing 
9. Chopped or sliced Almonds    2 tbsp
10. Raisins     1 tbsp

Method

Soak almonds & cashew nuts in warm water for 30 minutes

Wash, peel skin from beet root and chop, then pressure cook with enough water for 1-2 whistles or cook until soft and cooked.

Mean while bring 2-3 cups of water to boil and when it starts boiling add pasta and cook for 5-6 minutes or cook till 3/4 th done. Then drain excess water, wash in cold water and keep aside.

Once the beets cooked allow to cool for a while then grind it along with soaked almonds, cashew nuts and little water or milk to a smooth paste and keep aside.

Then in a sauce pan, add 3-4 cups of milk and bring it to boil.

Once it starts boiling add sugar and let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Then add 3/4th cooked pasta and cook for another one minute.

After that add the ground beets-nuts paste and cook in medium for 2 boils or until kheer thickens slightly.

Lastly add cardamom powder and chopped nuts and simmer for few minutes.

That's it...Tasty Beets Pasta Payasam.

Notes:

The same way instead of beets you can also use carrots.

If you don't like pasta then you can skip pasta and make it as plain beets kheer.

Instead of chopped nuts you can also use ghee roasted nuts for garnishing.

I peeled the almond skin before grinding.