Gasagase Payasa / Khus Khus Kheer

Gasagase Payasa, in Kundapura area is made mostly for health benefits than as an offering to God(Prasada). After eating all the tasty Kundapura style Chicken or sea-food, people are worried about the body heat.... so comes Gasagase Payasa after filling good meal to cool down your system. No constipation issue or trouble sleeping after topping your meal with this yummy payasa. There are different variation of this payasa. I love my mom's recipe which she made with Coconut milk. I use the store brought coconut milk in my payasa. 

Ingredients:
Gasagase - 2 tbsp. [ Poppy seeds / Khus Khus]
Almonds - 10 to 15
Milk ½ cup
Coconut Milk - 2 cups
Sugar - 3 tbsp (or according to taste) (Jaggary could be used instead)
Cardamom/Elaichi pdr - from 2 pods

For seasoning and garnish: 
Almond Slices
Golden raisins (dry grapes)
Ghee - 2 tsp
Saffron

1. Wash and soak poppy seeds and almonds separately for at least 4 hours.
2,  Remove the almond skin and grind it in to paste along with soaked poppy seeds.
3. Heat the milk, as it comes to boil, mix almond/poppy paste. Let it boil for couple of minutes.
4. Stir-in coconut milk and sugar. Let it boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Keep stirring or else it will boil over.
5. Turn of the fire. Add Cardamom powder to the payasa and cover.
6. In a small seasoning pan, heat the ghee on low fire. Add almond slices and raisins. Once raisins puffs, turn off the heat and pour hot ghee. almonds and raisins over the payasa.
7. Garnish with Saffron and cover.
8. Serve warm or refrigerated(cold). I prefer cold.