Paal payasam

Paal Payasam is a delicious Indian dessert also known as Rice Kheer. It is a traditional dish made for special occasions and festival times. Rice is cooked in milk and reduced to a rich creamy texture. If you have less time to prepare this dish you can use condensed milk instead of sugar which takes only a few minutes to thicken.

Preparation time:

Ingredients:

• White Rice/Basmati rice – 1/4 cup
• Milk – 6 cups
• Sugar – 1/2 to 3/4 cup
• Broken cashew nuts – 1 tbsp
• Saffron – 5 to 6 strings
• Ghee or clarified butter – 2 tsp

Method of preparation:

Heat a teaspoon of ghee in a pressure cooker and add rice. Roast it for a few minutes until a nice aroma starts spreading. Rice should not change color.

Add a cup of milk and pressure cook for 3 whistles.

Add the remaining milk and bring it to a boil stirring continuously. Reduce the heat and add 1/2 cup of sugar. Stir and let the sugar dissolve.

When it starts thickening check for sweetness and add more sugar if required. Continue to boil over low heat until you get a creamy texture. Finally add saffron strands and remove from heat.

Heat a teaspoon of ghee in a small pan and fry cashew nuts until golden brown. Add it to the prepared payasam. Serve warm or chill.

Check out the other version of Paal Payasam here.