Traditional Pal Payasam recipe. Milk payasam / kheer recipe with step by step pictures. Old fashioned, Classic recipe.
The sweet ending to any lunch is not complete without Payasam. My grand mother loved pal payasam and my dad says her favorite way of eating payasam was with appalam. I can never get enough of this recipe. This is a very old fashioned recipe and one of the simplest ones you will ever come across. But as with all authentic Indian desserts, this too is a labor of love and time. The milk cooks for long and gets slowly caramelized and takes on a light creamy colour. There isn’t any better way to end your south Indian lunch than this pal payasam. One serving can never be enough. I like to serve it warm. Here is how to do old fashioned classic pal payasam.
This payasam is going to be on the stove for nearly one and half hours. If you are planning to serve it for lunch, first start the payasam on the stove and then start cooking your main meal. By the time the main cooking is over, the payasam also will be done. There is no need for constant stirring. The milk will not bubble over during cooking due to the water added while cooking. So don’t worry. We need to keep the flame in medium high at all times.
Take a wide deep bottomed heavy pan. Add in the water and the milk. For every litre of milk, we will be adding 1.5 litres of water. Let it come to a boil. Once it comes to a boil add in the washed rice to the pan. Keep cooking on medium high flame. Because of the large quantity of water used, the milk will not bubble over. Just make sure to have a wooden spatula. You need not keep stirring all the time. Once in 5 minutes is perfectly fine.
The milk mixture will start evaporating and reducing in volume. The milk mixture would have approximately reduced by half after 30-40 minutes. Keep stirring once in a while.
After about one hour and 15 minutes, the mixture would have become creamy in colour and thicker in consistency. Most of the liquid would have been evaporated by now. Add in the sugar and mix well. Let it boil for 2 minutes. Switch off the flame and add in powdered cardamom. Mix well to combine.
For Tempering
Heat ghee in a pan and add in the broken cashew nuts. Fry on low flame until the nuts are slightly golden. Add it to the pal payasam.
Serve warm.
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Pal Payasam / Milk Payasam Recipe
Traditional Pal Payasam recipe. Milk payasam / kheer recipe. Old fashioned, Classic recipe.
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 mins
- Yield: 5 persons 1x
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 litre Milk
- 1.5 litres Water
- 3 tablespoon Raw Rice
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 3 Cardamom, powdered fine
For Tempering
- 2 teaspoon Ghee
- 7–8 cashew nuts, broken
Instructions
- Take a wide deep bottomed heavy pan. Add in the water and the milk. Let it come to a boil. Once it comes to a boil add in the washed rice to the pan. Keep cooking on medium high flame.
- The milk mixture will start evaporating and reducing in volume. The milk mixture would have approximately reduced by half after 30-40 minutes.
- After about one hour and 15 minutes, the mixture would have become creamy in colour and thicker in consistency. Add in the sugar and mix well. Let it boil for 2 minutes. Switch off the flame and add in powdered cardamom. Mix well to combine.
- Heat ghee in a pan and add in the broken cashew nuts. Fry on low flame until the nuts are slightly golden. Add it to the pal payasam.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 90 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: South Indian
I tried doing this in a slow cooker (Cooking overnight) and it came out absolutely excellent. Reminded me of the Pal Payasam we used to have in Guruvayur temple, Thanks much for posting the recipe
Thank You!
Thank you🙏🏽 You make every dish sound so simple and put it across beautifully👌🏽
Thank you very much 🙂
Nice recipe
Wonderful.It tasted heavenly. I followed your recipe to the T.
Thank you for generously sharing your recipe.Great work!
When to add sugar? Not mentioned.
Please read again 🙂
Hi SV..Can i use cashew or almond milk instead of regular milk. Will the water ratio still be the same?
Never tried with plant based milk. Do not know about the texture.
Tried and fell in love with it! Excellent recipie.
Thank you SG
Can i use CONDENSED mILK?
Sure. you can.
Shal i use cane sugar(vellam) as an alternate for sugar?
Jaggery will make the milk curdle.
It sounds similar to rice kheer.Is it?
Yes. It is similar!