Quinoa Payasam/Kheer

Quinoa has been cultivated and eaten as a cereal of thousands of years by South Americans..Quinoa"s protein content about 16% which is higher than of any other grain, wheat also have protein content about 14% but the protein in wheat and most other grain is lacking in the amino acid Lysine, which quinoa has in abundance..The protein in quinoa is complete as that in milk, in addition quinoa also contains more iron than most grains and its a good source of calcium, phosphorus, folate and many B vitamins..Am cooking for the first time the quinoa, so i want to prepare this grains as something sweet and my choice went for payasam, to be honest my trial with quinoa as kheer turned out truly delicious and vanished within few minutes, even my DH enjoyed which was quite a surprise for me...This quinoa payasam looks like similar to tapioca pearls payasam..

Ingredients:

• 1/2cup Quinoa
• 1/2cup Jaggery
• 1/2cup Milk
• 1/4tsp Saffron strands
• 3nos Cardamom seeds(crushed)
• 2tsp Ghee
• 10nos Cashew nuts or almond flakes

Method:

Make a syrup with jaggery and a cup of water, strain the jaggery water and cook the jaggery water, quinoa in pressure cooker upto one hiss...Put off the stove...

Add the milk, saffron strands, crushed cardamom seeds, cook everything until the kheer turns thicks...heat the ghee and fry the cashew nuts until golden brown, add the fried cashews and ghee to the cooked quinoa kheer and enjoy hot or chilled....or serve with almond flakes..