Bengali Payesh

Bengali Payesh

Bengali Payesh

Veg

Bengali rice pudding — gobindobhog or basmati rice slow-simmered in whole milk until thick, sweetened with sugar or nolen gur (date palm jaggery), perfumed with cardamom and bay leaf.

Cuisines

Bengali

Best for

Dinner Snacks

Recipe

Prep: 10 min Cook: 50 min Total: 60 min 2-3 servings

Ingredients

Rice 1/4 cup Rice , Gobindobhog or Basmati
Milk 1 liter Milk , full cream
sugar 1/2 cup Sugar
cardamom 3-4 Cardamom , green pods
Cashew 2 tablespoons Cashew , nuts
Raisin 2 tablespoons Raisin
ghee 1 tablespoon Ghee
Saffron 1/4 teaspoon Saffron , strands
Pistachio 1 tablespoon Pistachio , chopped

Instructions

  1. 1 Wash the rice thoroughly and soak it in water for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  2. 2 In a heavy-bottomed pan, bring the milk to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer.
  3. 3 Add the soaked and drained rice to the simmering milk. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
  4. 4 Cook the rice in the milk on low heat until the rice is soft and the milk has thickened, about 30 minutes.
  5. 5 Add sugar and crushed cardamom pods to the mixture. Stir well until the sugar dissolves completely.
  6. 6 In a small pan, heat ghee and lightly fry the cashew nuts and raisins until golden. Add them to the payesh.
  7. 7 Add saffron strands and stir gently to mix.
  8. 8 Simmer for another 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
  9. 9 Garnish with chopped pistachios before serving.

Tips

For a richer flavor, use full cream milk and allow the payesh to cool slightly before serving.