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
Kripa
Hi I'm one among Ur recent readers. Loves palpayasam a lot. The thing that caught my attention was "serve hot/chilled". Although a typical malayali payasam is supposed to be eaten hot I love it chilled and preferably next day. I'm strictly against adding cardamom or cashews or raisins in any payasam. I'm so obsessed with it in such a way that my amma is supposed to have a bowl for me before all the garnishings (unwritten rule)
anticlimax- first week after my marriage my MIL made payasam and I begged her to allow me to take a bowl before she adds any of the garnishings. But no I ate the HOT payasam with all the garnishings all the while thinking about how much tastier it would have been 🙁
PS: my MIL very loving the only thing I'm supposed to do at home is eat whatever she makes. always a feast to my palate.
Pari Cash
Hi nags i am a regular visitor of you blog, but never left any comment. I have started a small blog . Your garlic apart roll was in my list since long. Then i tried them. Its not like yours. but i was happy with the outcome. I have also mentioned your name in my recipe. I also shared rice payasam in my blog.
Please visit my space and give me some words.
Thanks
http://paricashkitchen.blogspot.in/
Padhu
Love this payasam very much.Nice pic!
Sharmilee! :)
Creamy and yummy payasam…!
jeyashrisuresh
Even i don't like to add cardamom or cashew nuts in this payasam, Quite tempting nags
suhaina aji
Onam Ashamsakal. Payasam looks yummy. I simply love this payasam very much. I always make it in the pressure cooker. U have tempted me and now I am going to make it tomorrow..Yummm.