I have had this recipe on my mind for a very very long time. For a couple of years to be precise. I remember having a conversation with my mom once on which recipes she thinks are not made anymore in the Goan cuisine. I remember her saying, “biya pos”. Pos is a dessert made with colostrum. I had eaten that many times growing up. However, I had never even heard of biya pos. Biyo translates to seeds. She had my interest. When I asked her for the recipe she simply said, “I don’t know. Call your granny she used to make it when we were kids”. So I did. 

I called my granny and asked her about this unique recipe. She said that the pos was made with either cashew nuts or pumpkin seeds. I remember thinking about the trouble they must have gone through to prepare the pumpkin seeds. Unlike today where seeds are readily available in the market, back then they had to wash and save the seeds. They were then sundried, peeled, and after all that hard work, used to make pos. When asked for the recipe, like most other grannies, her recipe involved a little this and a little that with no precise measurements. Now for someone who has never tasted this dessert, it is hard to grasp how to make it. So I never tried to make it. However, it kept running in the back of my mind.

I had some time today and was missing my granny a lot. So I finally decided to make it. It is like nothing I have tasted before. I was afraid it wouldn’t set. I guess my granny was watching over me and it turned out just perfect! I am dedicating this dessert to the woman who was one of the most generous ones I have ever met. She never was that big an eater but boy did she feed! I remember random people stopping by her house and she would feed them like they were her own family. The sense of community and giving unconditionally was something both my grandparents inculcated in us early. I was lucky to have her as my grandmother. I miss her every day but hoping to keep her alive through her recipes! 

What you will need:

How to make it:

• You can use cashew nuts or pumpkin seeds for this recipe. Pumpkin seeds impart a slightly bitter taste to the dessert. The cashew nuts on the other hand make a creamy rich dessert.
• Soak the pumpkin seeds/cashew nuts for at least two hours in water.
• Drain the water, and add the seeds/nuts to a mixer.
• Also add the jaggery, cardamom powder, and fresh coconut milk to the mixer and blend to form a smooth paste. 
• Keep a steamer ready.
• Pour the paste into a deep vessel.
• Cover and steam for around 30 minutes. 
• Turn the flame off and let it sit for 5 minutes more. 
• You can enjoy this pos warm or chilled.