Paal Payasam recipe, Milk Rice Kheer, How to make pal payasam

Paal Payasam or the milk rice kheer with step by step photos and video is a deliciously tasty dessert which is a must after meals in South India. Made with few ingredients, this dessert will take you back to your childhood.

A famous dish of South India

This is such a commonly made dessert in South India. It is a kind of milk pudding made with rice. You can add in any dry fruits of your choice. You will find this served at festivities and celebrations.

You will find this served at most of the local restaurants in Tamil Nadu. The paal payasam will be served as a sweet along with a typical South India thali.

Full of flavor and taste, this paal payasam will make you nostalgic with your childhood memories. I am sure, each one of you, who have tasted this delicacy would rewind and reminisce it.

What is payasam called in English?

Paal is nothing but milk in Tamil and payasam can be loosely translated into a pudding. Payasam is made in different varieties. You can make the semiya payasam, javvarisi payasam, among other payasam varieties.

Paal payasam is a rice pudding which is made with basmati rice and milk. 

How is paal payasam is different from phirni

The main difference is the way the rice is used in both the dishes. While the phirni recipe is made with ground rice, the paal payasam or the rice kheer is made with whole basmati rice. The paal payasam can be served warm or chilled. But the phirni is always served chilled. Apart from that, the rest of the procedure remains the same.

How do you make paal payasam recipe or rice kheer

There are very few ingredients used in this recipe. It doesn’t take a long time to cook if you soak the rice beforehand. Otherwise, the rice will take a long time to cook on low heat in milk.

All you have to do is soak the rice and boil it with milk on low heat. Once the rice is done, you can add the sugar and cook on high till the rice gets it’s nice creamy texture.

Pro Tips / Important things to remember:

• If you intend to serve this along with a meal, better prepare ahead of time as there is no quick fix to get the authentic taste of this amazing dessert. If you try to cook this over the high flame, the rice will definitely not be thoroughly cooked and it will have an unpleasant taste of rice grains in it.
• Be sure to take a large and wide heavy bottomed pan for making this paal payasam recipe. We will have to significantly reduce the milk, so it is best to cook it in a really wide pan.
• Remember to keep a wooden ladle across the pan to prevent the boiling over of the milk.
• We add water while making this paal payasam recipe, so you do not have to worry about the payasam getting burnt.
• There is no necessity of constant stirring. We will have to reduce the milk to a nice thick consistency. The reduction of the milk makes the paal payasam get it’s nice creamy flavor.

Step by step pictorial of the paal payasam recipe

1. Soak the basmati rice with cardamom with water for at least 1 hour.

2. Bring milk to boil and add in the soaked rice.

3. Cook till the rice is fully cooked. Stir occasionally.

4. Once the rice is cooked, add sugar.

5. Cook till the payasam thickens to your desired consistency. Serve garnished with dried fruits and nuts.

So let’s get started with the Paal Payasam recipe or the Milk Rice Kheer

Pal Payasam recipe, Milk Rice Kheer

Pal Payasam or the milk rice kheer is a deliciously tasty dessert which is a must after meals in South India. Made with few ingredients, this dessert will take you back to your childhood.

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Asian, Indian, South Indian, Tamil

Keyword: paal payasam

Cook Time: 1 hour

Soaking Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 3 people

Calories: 357kcal

Author: Fareeha

Watch the Video

What You Need:

For the payasam

• 1/4 cup basmati rice
• 1 litre milk
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar (or as per your taste)
• 2 - 3 cardamom

For garnish (optional)

• 2 tsp ghee
• 1 cup of dried fruits and nuts of your choice. Chopped into small pieces

How To Make:

• Soak the basmati rice in water along with cardamom for at least an hour or 6 hours. 

Making the Pal Payasam

• Take a large and wide heavy bottomed pan. Add milk and water to it. Bring it to a boil and reduce the heat to medium.
• Add the rice and stir. Keep a wooden ladle on top of the pan to prevent it from spilling over.
• Cook on medium heat while stirring occasionally.
• Cook till the rice is done.  Add in the sugar and cook until it achieves your desired consistency.

For garnishing

• Heat ghee in a pan and fry the dried fruits and nuts one by one till golden brown.
• Add these nuts to the cooked payasam and serve warm or chilled.

Recipe Notes

• Please remember, once the payasam cools down, it will thicken further. So remove from heat slightly before your desired consistency is achieved. 
• You can also use powdered cardamom instead of whole cardamom. 
• If you do not like to serve the cardamom, you can remove them after the paal payasam is cooked. 
• For best results cook on low to medium heat. 

Signing off until next time,

Fareeha.

This recipe was originally published in January of 2017.  Step by step photos and video have been added. The recipe has been made printable in October 2018.

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