Rice & Milk kheer/ Haalu payasa/ Paal payasam/ Creamy Rice pudding

Creamy rice pudding is one of the traditional recipes. It is prepared throughout India with different names and slightly varying methods. It is offered to Lord Shiva on Shivarathri, and is considered to be the best Neivedyam on Shiva pooja! There are various methods of preparation and I am sharing a method which I use to prepare it.
You can try this as an easy dessert or for a festival lunch platter. It is not very difficult to make and also a good food to feed toddlers as the basic ingredients are child friendly. It is very rich in carbohydrates, protein & calcium as it is combination of rice & milk.


Preparation & cook time: 30 - 40 minutes
Serves: 4 – 6
Ingredients:
White Rice (Sona masuri/ basmati) – 1cup
Milk – 3 cups/ 1/2 ltr (full fat)
Sugar – 1.25 cups
Cardamom powder – ¼ tsp
Chopped nuts – 2 tsp (cashews/ almonds)
Raisins – 2 tsp
Milk powder – 2 tbsp (optional)
Ghee – 2 tsp

Method:
  • Wash and cook rice with 3 cups of water in a pressure cooker. 3-4 whistles should be sufficient.
  • Take a thick bottomed vessel. Bring 2 cups of milk to boil adding ½ to 1 cup of water in this vessel.
  • Add the cooked rice after pressure settles down. Keep boiling in low flame for 5 – 10 minutes. Stir occasionally in order to avoid sticking to the bottom of the vessel & burning.
  • Rice should be cooked well (should be very soft & mushy) and should combine well with milk.
  • Now add sugar and allow sugar to melt. Mix well.
  • Mix the milk powder (if using) with remaining 1 cup milk. Add it to the boiling rice, milk & sugar mix.
  • Boil the kheer well. Add cardamom powder.
  • Switch off the heat.
  • Now, in a pan, heat ghee. Add chopped nut & fry until brown.
  • Add raisins to it, fry which will be done soon (do not burn it). Switch off the heat and add these to the kheer.
  • Serve this creamy payasa/ kheer/ pudding hot or cold as dessert.


Notes:
  • This kheer tastes great if the rice is cooked with the milk in an vessel without any water.
  • Adjust the sugar level as per your taste.
  • Basmati rice or gandhasale (a variety of rice) works great here.
  • Condensed milk can also be used while making it. Milk powder is optional.
  • 2 tsp Badam milk powder can be added to enhance the taste of this kheer at the end while boiling the kheer.

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