This payesh recipe makes the thick, creamy Bengali rice pudding that is served at the end of a Durga Puja bhog thali. It uses just a handful of things: milk, gobindobhog rice, ghee, cardamom, and rock sugar.
It is perfect for festival days, and for anyone who wants a slow, simple sweet made from scratch.
(step-by-step-recipe-video)
What is Bengali Payesh?
Bengali payesh is a rice pudding made by cooking rice in thick, slow-reduced milk and sweetening it with sugar. In Bengal it is usually made with gobindobhog rice and finished with cardamom, cashews, and raisins.
Payesh is the Bengali cousin of kheer and payasam. The name payasam comes from the Sanskrit word payasa, which means milk or a dish made from milk.
The big difference is in how it is made. Payesh is cooked on the stove until the milk turns thick and the rice stays soft but whole.
Regional Variations of Payesh
Payesh is not one fixed recipe. Cooks across Bengal change the grain, the sweetener, or the thickener, and each version tastes a little different.
Chaler payesh. This is the rice version, made with gobindobhog rice, and it is the one in my video. One Bengali food blogger calls it the most classic of all payesh types.
Gurer payesh. Here the sugar is replaced with jaggery, which is called gur in Hindi and Bengali. It gives the payesh a deeper brown colour and a caramel taste.
Nolen gurer payesh. Nolen gur is a winter jaggery made from date palm sap, and Bengali homes cook payesh with it when the cold season comes. I have not made this one yet, so I am only sharing what I read.
Semolina and vermicelli payesh. Suji (semolina) and semui (fine vermicelli) are also used in place of rice. These cook faster, so they are popular when you are short on time.
Chhanar payesh. This version is made with chhana, which is the fresh milk curd that is used to make paneer and rosogolla.
The information shared here is based on my own research across food blogs, recipe sites, and publicly available sources. If you are from any of these regions and something reads differently from what you know, I would love to hear from you in the comments.
Preparation Tips for This Payesh Recipe
Most of the work in payesh happens before the rice goes in. These are the things I watch for every time.
Use a thick-bottomed kadhai. Milk burns fast on a thin base. A heavy pan gives you more time to stir and scrape.
Do not hurry the milk. The milk must reduce and thicken first, and this is where most of the time goes.
Scrape the sides as you stir. Milk dries on the walls of the pan, and if you leave it there it will burn. Scrape it back into the milk again and again.
Wash the rice but do not soak it for long. In my kitchen I wash the gobindobhog rice, drain it well, and mix it with ghee and bay leaves right away.
Keep a cup of hot milk nearby. I use a little hot milk to rinse the bowl so no rice is left behind.
If the bottom starts to catch, lower the flame at once. Do not scrape the burnt layer into the pot, because it will change the taste of the whole payesh.
Why This Bengali Payesh Recipe Works
This Bengali payesh recipe works because it gets thickness from the milk itself, not from extra tricks. Here is why each step matters.
Reduced milk gives body. When the milk cooks down, it becomes thick and a little sweet before the rice even goes in.
A spoon of milk powder adds creaminess. I mix a ladle of the thickened milk with milk powder and stir it back in later. It makes the payesh feel richer without adding more milk.
Ghee on the rice adds smell. Mixing the washed rice with ghee and bay leaves before cooking gives the payesh a lovely aroma.
Whole grains give the right bite. The rice should look whole, but press flat when you squeeze a grain between your fingers.
The Bowl of Payesh I Never Forgot
I had a college friend named Sharwani. She was Bengali, and we spent a lot of those years together.
One day I went to visit her at her home in Bhagalpur, my hometown. Her mother served me a bowl of payesh.
It was a small moment, and nobody made a fuss about it. A mother put a bowl in front of her daughter’s friend, and that was all.
But I never forgot that bowl. It was food made for a guest, offered with care.
Years later, payesh still takes me back to Sharwani and that visit. Some foods stay in your memory longer than the meal itself, and this is one of them.
So when I cooked my Durga Puja bhog thali, I started with payesh. It takes the longest, so I make it first and let it rest while the rest of the meal comes together.
I stand at the stove and keep scraping the sides of the kadhai. In the video I call it kheer and payas, sometimes in the same breath, because both words come naturally to me.
I cannot say mine tastes exactly like the bowl I was served that day. But every time I make it, I am thankful for that visit.
What to Serve With Payesh
Payesh is a sweet, so it comes at the end of the meal. In a Bengali bhog thali it follows the main dishes.
Bhoger khichuri. This soft, ghee-rich rice and dal dish is the main part of a bhog thali. I have a full bhoger khichuri recipe on the blog.
Begun bhaja and aloo bhaja. Fried eggplant and fried potato add a crisp bite to the plate.
Tomato chutney. A sweet and tangy tomato and dates chutney is the usual partner.
Papad. A simple papad adds crunch before the sweet finish.
How to Store Leftover Payesh
Let the payesh cool to room temperature, then move it into a clean airtight container. Keep it in the fridge.
It will thicken a lot as it sits. When you want to eat it, stir in a spoonful of warm milk to loosen it.
You can eat it cold or at room temperature. I do not warm it too much, because the milk can separate if it gets too hot.
I have not tried freezing payesh, so I cannot tell you how it turns out.
Pro Tips for a Perfect Payesh Recipe
These are the small things I have picked up that make a real difference to the final pot.
Start with full fat milk. Thin milk takes longer to reduce and tastes watery in the end.
Stir in one direction at the start, then scrape. This keeps the milk moving and stops it from sticking.
Mix the rice with ghee before it goes in. The ghee coats each grain and keeps them separate.
Check the rice by pressing it. It should look like a whole grain but press flat between your fingers.
Add the sugar after the rice is cooked. Sugar can stop rice from softening, so I add it at the end.
Use rock sugar for colour. Mishri gives a nicer colour to payesh. You can use half mishri and half sugar, or jaggery, or only plain sugar, as you like.
Soak the cashews and raisins for a short time only. A quick soak is enough, because they get fried in ghee later.
Fry the nuts until just golden. Cashews burn fast, so take them off the heat as soon as they change colour.
Do not add extra milk at the end. The consistency should already be right, so keep the milk you started with.
Crush the cardamom or add it whole. Both work. I added 4 whole pods in the video.
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Basic Gobindobhog Payesh Ingredients Used
Each ingredient here has a clear job, so it helps to know why it is in the pot.
Full fat milk. One litre of milk is the base of the whole dish. It is cooked down until thick, so full fat milk gives the best result.
Gobindobhog rice. This is a short grain, sweet-smelling rice from Bengal. I use 50 g, washed and drained, and no long soak is needed.
Ghee. One teaspoon goes onto the rice for aroma, and one more is used to fry the nuts. A strong-smelling ghee like jharna ghee gives the payesh a deeper taste.
Bay leaves. Two bay leaves go in with the rice. They give a soft, warm fragrance to the milk.
Milk powder. I mix 100 g with a ladle of thickened milk and add it back later. It adds creaminess and makes the payesh thicker.
Cardamom pods. Four pods go in while the rice cooks. They give the payesh its sweet, flowery smell.
Rock sugar. I use 200 g of mishri because it gives the payesh a nicer colour. You can swap half of it for plain sugar, or use jaggery or only sugar.
Cashew nuts. 50 g of cashews are soaked for a short time, then fried in ghee. They add a crunchy bite against the soft rice.
Raisins. 50 g of raisins are soaked and fried with the cashews. They puff up and add little bursts of sweetness.
Salt. A pinch of salt balances the sweetness. You will not taste it, but the payesh tastes flat without it.
How to Make Payesh Recipe (Step-by-Step)
Here is the full method, broken into stages so it is easy to follow. You can also use the recipe card to keep next to your stove.
Preparing the Rice and Nuts
Wash the gobindobhog rice well and drain it. Mix in 1 teaspoon of ghee and the 2 bay leaves, and set the bowl aside.
Wash the cashews and raisins and soak them in a little water for a short while.
Reducing the Milk
Pour the 1 litre of milk into a thick-bottomed kadhai. Cook it, stirring often, and scrape the sides each time so the milk does not burn.
Keep going until the milk has reduced and turned thick. Take out one ladle of this thick milk into a small bowl, add the milk powder, mix until smooth, and keep it aside.
Cooking the Rice
Add the rice, bay leaves, and ghee mixture to the milk. Pour a little hot milk into the rice bowl to rinse it, and add that too.
Cook while stirring until the rice is done. Each grain should look whole but press flat when you squeeze it between your fingers.
Adding the Milk Powder and Cardamom
While the rice cooks, stir in the milk powder mixture. Add the 4 cardamom pods at the same time.
Keep stirring and scraping the sides so nothing burns.
Frying the Nuts
Heat 1 teaspoon of ghee in a small tadka pan. Add the soaked cashews and raisins and fry them until golden.
Sweetening and Finishing
Add the rock sugar and the pinch of salt to the payesh and stir until the sugar melts. Mix in the fried cashews and raisins and switch off the flame.
The payesh should be thick, with no need to add any extra milk. Let it cool a little before you serve.
Bengali Payesh
Ingredients
Instructions
- Wash the gobindobhog rice and drain it well. Mix in 1 tsp ghee and the bay leaves and set aside.
- Wash the cashews and raisins and soak them in a little water for a short time.
- Pour the milk into a thick-bottomed kadhai. Cook it, stirring often and scraping the sides, until it has reduced and thickened.
- Take out one ladle of the thickened milk into a small bowl. Mix in the milk powder until smooth and set aside.
- Add the rice, bay leaves and ghee to the kadhai. Rinse the rice bowl with a little hot milk and add that too.
- Cook, stirring, until the rice is done. Each grain should look whole but press flat between your fingers.
- Stir in the milk powder mixture and add the cardamom pods.
- Heat 1 tsp ghee in a small pan. Fry the soaked cashews and raisins until golden.
- Add the rock sugar and salt to the payesh and stir until melted.
- Mix in the fried cashews and raisins and switch off the flame. Do not add extra milk. Let it cool a little before serving.
Notes
Instead of all rock sugar you can use half rock sugar and half sugar, jaggery, or only sugar. Cardamom can be added whole, crushed, or as seeds. It thickens as it cools. Loosen with a spoonful of warm milk if needed. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions About Payesh
How do I make payesh at home? Reduce full fat milk until thick, then cook washed gobindobhog rice in it. Add cardamom, sweeten with sugar, and finish with fried cashews and raisins.
What is the best rice for a Bengali payesh recipe? Gobindobhog rice is the traditional choice because of its short grain and sweet smell. I used it in my video.
What is the difference between payesh and kheer? They are close cousins, both made by cooking rice in milk. Payesh is the Bengali name, and it is usually made with gobindobhog rice and slow-reduced milk.
Can I make payesh with jaggery instead of sugar? Yes. In my video I explain that you can use half mishri and half sugar, jaggery, or only sugar. Mishri gives a nicer colour.
What is nolen gurer payesh? It is payesh made with nolen gur, a winter jaggery made from date palm sap. I have not made it yet, so I am sharing only what I have read.
Why does my payesh turn out thin? The milk most likely did not reduce enough before the rice went in. Cook the milk longer next time, and add a ladle of thickened milk mixed with milk powder.
How do I stop the milk from burning while making payesh? Use a thick-bottomed kadhai and keep the flame low. Stir often and scrape the sides each time so the milk does not stick.
How do I know when the rice is cooked? Press one grain between your fingers. It should look whole but flatten easily.
Why is milk powder added to payesh? It makes the payesh creamier and a little thicker. I mix it with a ladle of thickened milk so it blends in smoothly.
Do I need to soak the cashews and raisins? A short soak is enough. They are fried in ghee afterwards, so a long soak is not needed.
Is payesh served hot or cold? Both are fine. I like it at room temperature, and it also tastes good after some time in the fridge.
Can I make payesh with other grains? Yes. Some people use semolina or fine vermicelli instead of rice. They cook faster than rice.
My Recommended Product:
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