Aloe vera has innumerable benefits. Even though it is tasteless, it can be mixed with a lot of food items and drinks. Aloe vera plants are easy to grow and maintain, but when it comes to their components, these plants offer a lot of health benefits as well. The leaves of an aloe vera plant are packed with a soft, clear gel that’s been praised for its hydrating effect and other medicinal benefits. It has been found that consuming aloe vera drinks helps stabilise blood sugar levels, improves dental health, stimulates collagen, which improves the skin, and eases constipation. There is one dish that is quite popular in South India. It is known as Payasam. Now, let’s look at the ingredients and recipe for making aloe vera payasam:
Payasams are widely popular in South India. Payasam is a kind of kheer that is made using milk, vegetables, and dry fruits. In south India, people use different types of vegetables to make payasams. Nowadays, aloe vera payasams are getting quite popular as well.
Ingredients
Aloe vera – 2 leaves
Lentils – 1 tumbler
Grated Jaggery – 2 Tbsp
Milk – 2 tumblers
Cardamom powder – ½ Tbsp
Salt – As per taste
Dry Fruits (Cashews, raisins, almonds, Pistachios) – As per requirement
Payasam requires a minimum of ingredients but has a proper process to make it. So, let’s look at its recipe as well.
Take two big aloe vera leaves, remove the outer skin of the plant, and take out the pulp in a bowl. Then, it is important to wash the extracted aloe vera pulp about eight to ten times with clean water. This is done so that all the dirt is properly removed. There is a special tip: the aloe vera should be washed until the sliminess on top of it is completely removed. After washing it properly, the pulpy part should be cut into small pieces.
The next step is to add lentils to a cooker. Then, pour enough water into it and close the lid. Then, wait for two whistles, and then open the cooker and add milk to it. Once the milk starts boiling, add grated jaggery to it. Once the jaggery is completely mixed, add the chopped aloe vera to it. Then add some water to the mixture. After boiling all these, add cardamom powder and salt to taste. In the end, close the lid again and let it cook. Once everything is done, add dry fruits to it.
