Caramel Payasam

This one, I call as 'Modern Payasam' :) Couple of years back, when I first had it at my aunts home, I really thought its about adding the 'Caramilk' Choclate to the payasam or something like that. Oh ! Such a dumbo I felt, when I googled about it. 'caramelisation' is the oxidation of sugar, a process used extensively in cooking for the resulting nutty flavor and brown color.

This process is what that gives the Caramilk kinda taste. :)

Ingredients:
Thick Milk - 1 litre
Sugar - 1 cup (More or less per taste)
Water - 1/4 cup
Elachi, Cashews,Raisins

Boil the milk till thick.
Heat a heavy pan till it gets very hot.
Add 1 tbsp of sugar.
Do not stir or do anything at all. The sugar will start becoming brown. Well, that is, the sugar will start caramelizing.When it becomes nice thick brown add 1/4 cup of hot water (Here, be very careful to add it cautiously, coz the caramelized sugar will sizzle and splash a bit at this stage).
Add the milk.
Simmer and Stir well.
Once done, switch off the flame, add rest of the sugar
Roast cashews,raisins, elachi in ghee and add.
You will have nice brownish pink payasam ready.

This process of caramelising the sugar can be done in any payasams like Semia / Vermicilli payasam, Rice payasam. Just caramelise 1 tbsp of sugar first as did above, and then continue with the usual way of making payasams.