Peushi - Traditional Konkan sweet dish

Peushi is a baked sweet dish made with thick coconut milk, jaggery and raw cashew, topped with poppy seeds. I just love this dish but really have no idea on how to prepare. The poppy seed layer on this moist and rather earthy flavoured dish gives it a golden topping with a nutty taste. Most traditional recipes never have the right proportions, so my sister put in the required effort to ensure the proportions are measured as she makes it. She made this sometime last month and we relished it.

Crush the jaggery into small pieces & add it to the coconut milk. Allow it to stand for 15-20 minutes until the jaggery melts. Strain it to get a clear liquid, add the cardamom powder and whisk it. Jaggery at times has some impurities so you need to strain it.

Seperate the egg whites & yolk. Beat the egg whites till extremely soft peaks are formed. Add the egg yolk and beat once more. Grease nine inch deep baking pan using ghee. Preheat the oven to 180C. Add the coconut milk into egg mixture slowly whisking to ensure that it is well mixed. The more traditional way to mix it is to slowly pour the coconut milk into the egg mixture, holding the coconut milk vessel almost near your shoulder. Yes, it means you need to pour it from a height. Next pour the combined mix into the empty coconut vessel. Repeat couple of times (about 4-5 times). This ensures that you get a smooth less airy mixture. Add the cashew nut pieces to this mixture. Pour it in the prepared baking pan. The pan should be about 3/4 full to allow the peushi to rise. Sprinkle poppy seeds lightly on the entire mixture.

Bake for about 30 to 45 minutes or till a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. The peushi rises while baking and falls when cooled. Allow it to cool and refrigerate for at least 30 mins before serving. Slice and serve. As you cut, a sweet liquid is released from the dish. Serve a couple of spoon of this liquid too. It tastes wonderful.