Pal payasam - Kheer

Quintessentially Indian - kheer made of milk and rice is known as pal payasam and remains my favorite sweet dish. It is the main feature of most South Indian festivals and is offered often as 'prasadam' as it is considered to be a favourite meal of the Gods - I understand why! I prefer it made with cow's milk as it colors well after the payasam is made!

I require no particular reason for making payasams - this time it was on my daughter's insistence.

Milk - I used 'Mahanand cow's milk' - 3l
Sugar - 1 cup
(My sweets are never too sweet - so feel free to add another 1/2 cup)
Rice - 1/2 cup
(Soak long grained basmati rice for a few minutes, drain and powder them for just a turn in the mixie - alternatively you could just use small rice variety like ambemore which has very nice flavor)
Cardamom/elaichi powder - from 4 to 5 cardamoms
Kesar strands - 4 to 5 (Just warmed and crushed to release flavor and color)
Microwave roasted kajus - 10 halved
Dry raisins/kishmish - 10

1. Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed vessel and cook to reduce to one-third on slow fire. Keep stirring every now and then so that it doesn't stick to the bottom.

2. Add the rice and sugar and cook further till milk is reduced to half of the original quantity.

3. Put off the fire. There will some malai stuck to the sides of the vessel. Wet it with a little of the payasam and scrape off the malai with a wooden ladle and mix it with the payasam without breaking it too much. It gives a rabdi like effect.

4. Garnish with roasted cashews, kishmish and kesar strands and serve in small quantities.

Cheating tip:
If the kheer tastes but does not have a creamy pale colour mix in 2tsps. of brown sugar for the right effect - I learnt this in Samsung's microwave recipe booklet.

And do let me know the results!