The sweet ending to any lunch is not complete without Payasam. My grand mother loved pal payasam and my dad says her favorite way of eating payasam was with appalam. I can never get enough of this recipe. This is a very old fashioned recipe and one of the simplest ones you will ever come across. But as with all authentic Indian desserts, this too is a labor of love and time. The milk cooks for long and gets slowly caramelized and takes on a light creamy colour. There isn’t any better way to end your south Indian lunch than this pal payasam. One serving can never be enough. I like to serve it warm. Here is how to do old fashioned classic pal payasam.
This payasam is going to be on the stove for nearly one and half hours. If you are planning to serve it for lunch, first start the payasam on the stove and then start cooking your main meal. By the time the main cooking is over, the payasam also will be done. There is no need for constant stirring. The milk will not bubble over during cooking due to the water added while cooking. So don’t worry. We need to keep the flame in medium high at all times.
Take a wide deep bottomed heavy pan. Add in the water and the milk. For every litre of milk, we will be adding 1.5 litres of water. Let it come to a boil. Once it comes to a boil add in the washed rice to the pan. Keep cooking on medium high flame. Because of the large quantity of water used, the milk will not bubble over. Just make sure to have a wooden spatula. You need not keep stirring all the time. Once in 5 minutes is perfectly fine.
The milk mixture will start evaporating and reducing in volume. The milk mixture would have approximately reduced by half after 30-40 minutes. Keep stirring once in a while.
After about one hour and 15 minutes, the mixture would have become creamy in colour and thicker in consistency. Most of the liquid would have been evaporated by now. Add in the sugar and mix well. Let it boil for 2 minutes. Switch off the flame and add in powdered cardamom. Mix well to combine.
For Tempering
Heat ghee in a pan and add in the broken cashew nuts. Fry on low flame until the nuts are slightly golden. Add it to the pal payasam.
Serve warm.
- 1 litre Milk
- 1.5 litres Water
- 3 tablespoon Raw Rice
- ½ cup Sugar
- 3 Cardamom, powdered fine
- 2 teaspoon Ghee
- 7-8 cashew nuts, broken
- Take a wide deep bottomed heavy pan. Add in the water and the milk. Let it come to a boil. Once it comes to a boil add in the washed rice to the pan. Keep cooking on medium high flame.
- The milk mixture will start evaporating and reducing in volume. The milk mixture would have approximately reduced by half after 30-40 minutes.
- After about one hour and 15 minutes, the mixture would have become creamy in colour and thicker in consistency. Add in the sugar and mix well. Let it boil for 2 minutes. Switch off the flame and add in powdered cardamom. Mix well to combine.
- Heat ghee in a pan and add in the broken cashew nuts. Fry on low flame until the nuts are slightly golden. Add it to the pal payasam.
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