Payesh

Sweet Rice & Milk

VegetarianOrigin West BengalPrep 10 minutesCook 30 minutes

A velvety Indian rice pudding slowly simmered until rich and creamy. Gently sweetened, it carries a warm and fragrant aroma of green cardamom.

0 gDusted over the pudding at the end (step 4)

to taste

spice

Mill in a spice grinder to a fine powder.

Everything else

12 g1 tablespoon

grain

1034 g1 l

dairy

75 g

sweetener

Pulse 1 tablespoon rice in a blender until finely ground, then set aside.
Heat 1034 g milk to a boil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot. Stir in the ground rice and simmer for roughly 20 minutes, stirring regularly, until the liquid reduces by half and thickens into a porridge-like consistency.
Take the pan off the heat, stir in 75 g granulated sugar until dissolved, and place back over low heat for 5 minutes, ensuring it does not bubble or boil.
Scatter the cardamom garnish over the top.

Rice

Basmati rice
Use the same weight; rinse and soak as needed. Fluffier and drier, so use slightly less water.
Long-grain rice
Use the same weight; similar behaviour, adjust water to your usual method.
Short-grain rice
Use the same weight; stickier and softer, so reduce water and avoid stirring.

Green cardamom pod

Green cardamom seed
Use 35 to 40% of the total pod weight; lightly bruise the seeds before frying in oil to release their essential oils.
Ground green cardamom
Use 20 to 25% of the pod weight (about 1 generous pinch per pod); stir in toward the end of cooking so the delicate floral notes do not dissipate.
White cardamom pod
Use 1:1 by pod count or weight; crack gently before using, though it is slightly less intensely floral.

Milk

Whole milk
Use equal weight; provides the standard rich dairy fat and body expected in creamy Indian bases.
Single cream
Dilute 3 parts cream with 1 part water to match the weight; yields a richer, glossier gravy that resists curdling.
Plain yogurt
Whisk thoroughly and use equal weight; adds extra body and a mild pleasant acidity, best added off the heat.

Granulated sugar

Jaggery
Use equal weight; grate or shave finely so it dissolves rapidly, giving a warm, caramel-like sweetness and slightly darker sauce.

Same: Phirni is also a creamy, sweet milk-and-rice pudding made with granulated sugar.
Different: Phirni uses ground rice and adds kewra or rosewater, whereas this dish uses green cardamom pods and cooks whole rice in a higher proportion of milk.

Same: Kheer and this dish are both rice puddings made by simmering rice in milk with green cardamom and sugar.
Different: Kheer uses much more rice and sugar than this dish, and it adds pistachio, almond, kewra water, saffron, and edible silver leaf, while this dish uses only rice, cardamom, milk, and sugar.

Same: Palpayasam also relies on a sweetened milk base infused with green cardamom.
Different: Unlike this simmered rice pudding, Palpayasam features rice-flour dumplings fried in peanut oil, incorporates nutmeg, and uses significantly more sugar.

Same: Sheer Birinj is also a milk-based rice pudding sweetened with granulated sugar and flavored with green cardamom.
Different: Unlike this dish, Sheer Birinj adds ghee, khoya, clotted cream, cashew paste, and floral kewra or rosewater.