Bengali Payesh

Payesh is the thick, creamy rice pudding that closes a Bengali bhog thali. Gobindobhog rice cooks in slow-reduced milk and gets its colour and sweetness from rock sugar. A little ghee, cardamom, cashews and raisins finish it.

Course Dessert, sweets

Cuisine Bengali

Keyword payesh recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1

Servings people

Calories 521kcal

Author Puja

Equipment

Ingredients

1 litre full fat milk
50 g gobindobhog rice
1 tsp ghee for the rice
2 bay leaves
100 g milk powder
4 cardamom pods
200 g rock sugar mishri
50 g cashew nuts
50 g raisins
1 tsp ghee for frying the nuts
salt A pinch

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

Use a thick-bottomed pan and keep scraping the sides so the milk does not burn.
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