Dates and Oats Payasam

Soak whole almonds in hot water for about 15 to 20 minutes or give one boil to the water and let the almonds steep in it for about 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, peel the almonds. Chop about half of them (around 10). Deseed dates and keep about 5 for garnishing.

Place the rest of the peeled almonds (about 10) and 5 to 6 pitted dates in a blender jar and make a fine paste with a little milk.

In a saucepan, roast the oats on medium high heat, stirring continuously till you get a nutty aroma; about 2 to 3 minutes.

Tip in the milk and the ground almonds-date paste (rinse the jar with additional milk) into the pan and bring to a boil on medium high heat.

Keep stirring to avoid milk getting burnt at the bottom of the pan. Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat and add the jaggery. Give it a good stir.

Do a taste test and if needed, add more jaggery according to your taste. When the jaggery has completely melted into the payasam, add the cardamom powder, stir and remove from heat.

In a small saucepan, heat ghee and roast the chopped almonds till light golden brown. Stir into the cooked kheer. Serve delectable dates and oats kheer piping hot, warm or cold with additional nuts and chopped dates sprinkled on top.

Payasam/kheer thickens as it cools, so feel free to add more milk when needed.