Chaler Payesh (Bengali style Rice Pudding)

Photo courtesy: Dr. Debarshi Chatterji

I think I have learnt at least a hundred recipes since I got married. When I think of my life and my eating habits 4-5 years back, I can’t stop smiling. Pressure cooker was my best friend and everyday I used to cook a quick bland curry with some rice or roti and never worry about the taste. Desserts were always store bought unless I was visiting my parents when my mom would prepare something special for me. Never thought that I would prepare something from scratch and it would actually taste good! However, with time and patience I have learned and mastered some of the most amazing recipes and I intend to share all of them with you. 

The feeling of being away from home strikes us most when we are craving for something special and that consists mostly of the foods prepared by our moms and I am sure that we all share the same feeling. The style of cooking that we grow up with, in a way becomes a part of our DNA. Don’t you agree? I guess, that’s why we have the phrase, ‘from mom’s kitchen.’ A dish prepared by her just feels special and makes us feel so warm and loved. When our mom’s cook (or used to cook, for those who have faced the ultimate loss) for us, every bite is like reliving childhood and reminds us of all those happy memories we shared as a family. I usually satisfy my cravings by taking the recipe from my mom and recreating it as best as I can. Debarshi however, makes special requests whenever he misses his mom’s cooking and that is how I learnt this amazing recipe.

Chaler Payesh or Bengali style rice pudding is a traditional Bengali must have dessert for all special occasions like birthdays, Durga Poojo and Lokhi Poojo. In fact, in many families including mine, we have separate utensils for preparing Payesh. This helps in two ways, first, since it is offered as a prosad using a different utensil ensures purity in preparation, second, a dedicated pan for dessert preparation means no hints of oil, onion or garlic. However, this is totally optional and you can very well use a regular pan or wok, just make sure to wash it a few times thoroughly to remove any hint of food previously cooked in it. 

So, what are the rules for preparing this mouthwatering dessert? Well, only one and that is, be patient. Preparing Payesh is pretty much straight forward, boil the milk, add the rice, sugar and nuts and it’s ready! but hold on, this may sound quick but it isn’t. The biggest factor to consider while making Payesh is time. Payesh is cooked over low heat which gradually thickens the milk without burning. Now you cannot proceed with the recipe until the milk reduces to almost two third of its original volume and you have to stir occasionally which means you have to be around the gas oven all the time so what do I do? I use that time to cook and prepare other dishes (remember I always prepare Payesh on special occasions which means I have a lot of other cooking to do as well). That way, my time is utilized in other things while the milk thickens and develops a beautiful heavy texture. When the time comes, I add the rice, nuts and sugar and it’s ready! 

My final tip, don’t be overwhelmed by the time required to prepare this dessert, follow the recipe as it is. Small steps like crushing the cardamoms, slicing the almonds and using ghee are important and should not be skipped because they play an important role in the flavor of this delish dessert. Give it ample time and attention and you will be able to enjoy and share a beautiful bowl of this decadent pudding.

Ingredients:

• Basmati Rice – 1/3 cup
• Whole Milk - 1 gallon
• Sugar – 9 tablespoons
• Ghee (Clarified Butter) – 1 tablespoon
• Green Cardamom - 8 pods, crushed or powdered, skins removed
• Raisins – ¼ cup (or ½ cup)
• Almonds or Pecans – ¼ cup, sliced or broken into small pieces
• Bay leaf – 2, small

Let’s do some preparations first:

• Wash the rice. 
• Drain it well then transfer to a small bowl. 
• Add the Ghee and bay leaves to the rice and mix. Keep this aside.

Directions:

• Heat a big pan or wok over medium high heat. Slowly and carefully pour the milk into it.
• Keep the heat on medium for the first 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally then turn it down to medium low.
• Keep boiling the milk till it is reduced to 2/3 of its original volume (Tip: This simply means that the milk will be more than half but less than its original volume). Stir, stir, stir.
• Now add the rice along with the bay leaves and ghee to the milk. Stir to mix.
• Allow it to cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally then mash a grain of rice to check if it’s slightly tender. If it isn’t keep cooking and stirring.
• Add sugar when the rice is slightly tender.
• After 10-15 minutes, add the crushed Green Cardamom, Raisins and sliced Almonds. Keep stirring and cooking. Any thick milk should be cleaned off the sides and mixed in the Payesh itself so keep stirring and scraping the bottom and sides of the pan. 
• Check after 10-15 minutes, the rice should be cooked well by now but it should not be mushy and should hold its shape. The addition of the nuts will slightly deepen the color of the milk. The Payesh should have a thick consistency now (the milk at this time is almost reduced to half of its original volume).
• Remove from heat and cool before serving. 

Tips:

• Use mortar pestle to crush the cardamom pods.
• Use a big wok or pot to boil the milk. It should be properly washed before adding the milk and use a clean wooden or rubber spatula to stir the milk.
• Do not use reduce calorie (1% or 2%) milk.
• Payesh is a task of patience. The milk should be allowed to boil and reduce on a low heat. After you add the nuts the color of the milk will darken a bit.

Recommended Reading:

• Mortar and Pestle
• Panch Bhaja (Crispy Deep Fried Vegetables)
• Moonger dal (Yellow Lentils soup)
• Saag Bhaja (Bengali style Stir-fried Spinach)
• Mangshor Jhol (Bengali Style Mutton Curry)
• Matar Pulao (Yellow Rice with Peas)
• Sweet Masoor Dal (Red Lentils Bengali style)
• Gobindobhog Chal diye Patali Gurer Payesh (Bengali Rice Pudding with Date Palm Jaggery)
• Make Homemade Ghee from Spoiled Cream
• Arhar Dal (Toor Dal or Split Yellow Pigeon Peas Soup)
• Moong Dal ka Halwa (Indian Yellow Lentils Dessert)
• Rabri (Clotted Cream in Condensed Milk)
• Sevai ki Kheer (Semai Payesh / Vermicelli Pudding)
• Dry Fruit Laddu (Mamma’s homemade sweets with dry fruits)
• Gujiya (Crispy Flaky Indian Sweet Dumpling stuffed with Milk Solids and Nuts)
• Baby Food: Rice Pudding with Apple and Banana
• Gajar ka Halwa (Indian Carrot Dessert)
• Bengali Tomato Chatni (chutney) With Dried Fruits