Paal payasam made traditionally will have a pink hue from the rice used. Ok, don’t look for the colour in my payasam picture because we used regular rice this time.
Onam is always a nostalgic time for me because Kerala is at its best then. There’s the smell of fresh coconut oil being heated for all the banana chips, banana leaves gleaming in the sun, the rains just checked and the heat manageable, flowers everywhere and athappoo designs being planned, women walking around in the traditional Kerala set sari days before and after the day, school vacation after first term… I could go on.
So let me shut up for now and give you the Paal Payasam Recipe already!
Paal Payasam Recipe / Rice Kheer Recipe
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Serves 4-6
Recipe source: amma (payasam in picture made by bedhamma, her sis)
Ingredients:
500 ml (2 cups) of milk
1/2 cup of sugar (adjust to taste)
1/4 cup of unakkalari / raw rice (or any non-sticky rice like basmati)
How to Make Paal Payasam:
1. Add 2 cups water to the milk and bring to boil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Once the milk boils, add the sugar and simmer until it reduces to half.
2. Add the washed rice and continue to cook on very low flame, stirring frequently until the milk thickens further and the rice is cooked soft.
3. Remove and serve warm / chilled.
Notes:
- For a quick paal payasam (rice kheer), just add all ingredients (don’t add water) to a pressure cooker and cook for 2-3 whistles. When the pressure leaves, open the lid, add 2-4 tbsp of condensed milk and bring to boil before removing from fire and serving. Adjust sugar accordingly since the condensed milk will make it too sweet if you use the same amount of sugar used otherwise
- Adding anything else to the payasam like cardamom pods or cashew nuts will distract you from the actual flavour that’s meant to be pure milk so keep it simple folks
This is just like a Bengali version of PAAYESH…just a li'l difference is this that we used to stir fry rice in desi ghee with TEJ PATTA (i don't remember the english name) beforehand then add in the thicken milk.this gives a unique taste in KHEER,that's all.and by the way we add kaaju and baadam also,but no kishmish,it gives a li'l tangy taste in it.
delicious payasam,you have captured it nicely….
Though we don't celebrate Onam, I am planning to make some recipes this year – from your blog and others as well. Onam is next wednesday, I suppose. will try to squeeze out some time amidst a short trip coming up this weeked. Love the use of silk pancha in the first pic beside the payasam bowls. It gives such traditional feel. 😀
I love rice kheer/payasam. I recently discovered Gobindobhog rice–a short grain, fragrant rice that is used in Bengal to make Payesh and was very happy with the flavor. It's amazing how the base recipe remains the same but changes in rice grains and milk make a payasam different from a kheer, a kheer different from a phirni, a phirni different from a payesh.
It's very much like how we make bengali rice kheer. The key ingredient is always the perfect rice grain which I don't get out here!
looks indeed rich and special than the pressure cooker version!
This is my favourite payasam ever. I am texting amma now to make this for me today.
Yummy looking payasam. Creamy and very tempting !!
Looks so yummy! this is one of simple dish for any festive season
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Paal payasam is synonymous with Onam,really.But off late the prettier(and tastier,no doubt!)Paalada has taken over.But Onam has become too commercial these days,even in Kerala where everything is available off the shelf.But I am not complaining!
i really want to make paalada pradhaman payasam this year for onam. i even have the readymade ada, just need to get it done this weekend. also wanted to make the maanga curry 🙂 i do agree it's very commoditized and everything is readymade now. people are getting busier. sigh..
I love Ada! Near where my mum lives, there a whole lot of Mallu shops and they stock the best ada and I love to use it in a payasam! Maanga curry for Onam–are the mangoes still in season?