Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pot. When the ghee becomes hot, fry cashews until light golden.

Then add raisins and stir until they turn plump. Remove them to a bowl and set aside for garnishing later.

Add javvarisi and fry them in the ghee stirring continuously. Under 1 to 2 minutes they will begin to pop and become light.

Pour water & give a good stir. Let the water come to a rolling boil. Simmer & cook until sabudana is transparent meaning it is cooked. Keep stirring in between so they do not stick to the bottom of the pot & burn.

When they are done, they will turn transparent and the whole mixture will become starchy. If javvarisi is still undercooked then you may add more hot water and cook further.

Pour milk and give a good stir. If you prefer more milk you can add more milk. Cook on a low to medium heat until it turns thick. Stir in the ground cardamom.

If using Sugar : - Stir in the sugar and cook until it dissolves for 2 to 3 minutes.

If using Jaggery: - To use jaggery let the javvarisi payasam cool down a bit. Take off the pot from the heat and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile make the jaggery syrup. Or you can add the jaggery powder directly after the payasam cools down a bit.

To make the jaggery syrup dissolve ⅓ cup (80 grams) jaggery with 3 tbsps water. Bring it to a rolling boil. Simmer until it dissolves and thickens slightly. Turn off and cool this as well.

Filter the jaggery syrup to the cooked sabudana and give a good stir. But remember not to add hot syrup to the hot payasam. I cool down both and mix when they are warm.

Add ghee fried cashewnuts and raisins. Serve javvarisi payasam warm or cold as a dessert.

Press saute button on the Instant pot and add ghee to the steel insert. When the ghee melts, fry the nuts until light golden. Then fry the raisins until they become plump. Remove them to a plate.

Add javvarisi and fry them for 1 to 2 mins. They will pop in sometime and become light.

Pour water and deglaze the pot by scrubbing the bottom with the spatula. Secure the Instant pot with the lid and position the steam release valve to sealing. Press the pressure cook button and set the timer to 3 mins. I used the regular sized normal sago. If you use smaller sago then you may cut down the time.

When the instant pot is done, it beeps. Wait for the pressure to drop naturally. Then open the lid and give a good stir.

Pour milk and cook on saute mode until the payasam turns thick and creamy.

Add cardamom powder and sugar. Let it simmer for 2 to 3 mins until the sugar dissolves. To use jaggery, remove the steel insert from the Instant pot and cool down slightly.

Stir in powdered jaggery until all of it dissolves. You can also make jaggery syrup by dissolving it with 3 tbsps water. Bring it to a rolling boil and then simmer until thick. Cool down and filter this to the payasam. Ensure both these are not very hot.

Garnish javvarisi payasam with fried nuts and cashews.