Friday 17 April 2009

Chaler Payesh / Rice Kheer


It was a junior colleague's b'day on the 15th. It was doubly important for him as it was the New Year too ( he is a Bengali ).

Away from home for the first time, he lamented how his mother was very upset as he did not have Payesh / Kheer. Hubby is a softie ... and immediately committed that he will get his payesh the next day.
Notwithstanding the fact that we ourselves have been living off bread / McD's burgers for the past so many days.

But I can't blame him. We both are suckers. One just had to whine and we fall for it. Both friends and just aquantainces have greatly benefited from this. ;-)


Like the pregnant wife of a colleague ... who on our first introduction ..... went on and on how she was craving for Rosogollas ( she knew I was a Bengali & cook well too ..... thanks to our loyal friends ). And I very good naturedly make some the very next day .... and off goes the dear husband with a big box.
I never heard from her again.

And there have been uncounted times when a friend would want to have fish .... and gets a box on his table the next day. No ... nobody believes in returning a favour ... not even with a word of thanks. Only when we get to cross our paths at a party or get together I'd get to hear that I cook fish very well.
Duuuhhhhh?


But thank god such characters are few and far between. There are lots & lots more with much more etiquette and courtesy... who will call up to warn they are barging in ... make me promise I won't step into the kitchen ... get some stuff .... and spend hours sprawled on the floor ... endless talks on endless topics .... and laughs. :-) They are the ones who make friendship worthwhile. No prizes for guessing which lot I cherish and absolutely love to cook for. :-)

Anyway ... So there I was the next morning ... cooking payesh .... when I'd rather have somebody cook me a decent meal.

Decided since I was making it anyway, I might as well post it. So clicked some snaps with a lot less enthu than I'd on any other time.

( This snap has a successfully blurred background, unlike the other ones. And I do not have Photoshop. :-) )

Need : Rice ... around a quarter cupfull ( broken Basmati rice is best for this ), 1 litre milk, sugar, less than a pinch of salt, elaichi / cardamom seeds, bay leaves.


How to : Soak the rice in a bowl with a little milk / water for around half an hour.
Boil milk with the cardamom and bay leaves till it reduces a little ( whole / full cream milk works best for kheer ).

Now add the rice & the salt ( it has to be very, very little ... just to complement the sugar ) .... and let it boil.

Remember never to leave it even for a moment ... the rice will stick to the bottom (yes, even if you are using a non-stick pan ).
Keep stirring and stirring .... till the rice gets cooked completely.

Now add the sugar ( I cannot give the measurement ... just taste it and decide when it is enough ). It will release water.

So boil for some more time.


Serve warm / cold.

With these measurements the Payesh / Kheer turned out to be very thick and creamy. If you prefer it a little less thick then lessen the quantity of rice ... and do not reduce the milk too much.






21 comments:

  1. nice, me too have posted rice payasam but thats different from urs.WIll have to try urs;)

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  2. Hmmm sometimes that type of characters bring spice into life sometimes they are boring.....Coming to kheer...looks yummy....

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  3. wish i had some senior like u who would cook kheer for me ;) it looks delish!

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  4. Thick and creamy, looks fabulous Shamila, good one! :)

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  5. Looks creamy and delicious! Yumm Yumm!

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  6. tomar na shorir kharap? ooof parlam na.. thik amader bari r moton oboshta.. cahrity kore kore pagol hoye gelam. ei rokom bangali payes onek din khayini, ebar amar thanda thanda payesh khete ichey korchey.

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  7. I have come across such ppl too, they know us only when they need something otherwise poof they disappear into thin air... Payesh look great, I have never used bayleaves in Paysesh should include it next time... Payesh looks creamy and yum yumm

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  8. Tumi ki bhalo meye, cheno na jano na ar tader janya abar paayesh kore pathacho

    Jake rosogolla khayechile ar acknowledge koreni take next bar nimpata bata deoa shundor rasgulla kore pathiyo

    Payesh is gorgeous, notun gur dile ki bhalo lage na ?

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  9. Thanks Chitra! will check out yours. :-)

    Thanks KF! Yeah ... life has different ways of giving lessons. :-)

    Would love to make some for you too Sia. :-)

    Thanks Asha! :-)

    Thanks AnuSriram! :-)

    Ja bolecho Soma. :-) Arey ami nije chaler payesh khaina ... tobe eta khub ghono hoyechilo. :-)

    Thanks Ramya! :-) Bay leaves do give a good flavour ... but I would suggest you use only the greenish ones ... not the too dry brown ones.

    Idea ta mondo na Sandeepa .... onekkhon dhore haaslaam. :-)
    Shotti ... ektu jodi notun gur petam . :-)

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  10. Payesh looks yum!! Notun gur er payesh amaro khub khub priyo!
    Tumi shotti GREAT!!!! Oirokom experience howar poreo eto magnanimous!!!!!

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  11. aww Sharmila, that's so not fair!
    You live, you learn and it's good to have the other type of friends that you mention,worth slaving over this beautiful kheer for:)

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  12. I hope you get a word of thanks for this one!
    Good for your photography skills! I'm still such a novice.

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  13. Sharmila,
    payesh khete khob bhalo hoyeche aar amaake ke to ma or mil chara keyo payesh baniye khabaye ni:(...pictures golo darun lagche ..tumaar moton I also dont use photoshop or Picassa , use korte jani O na LOL..
    hugs and smiles

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  14. Thanks SGD! :-)

    Righto R! And thanks. :-)

    Me hopes so too Bharti. And thanks for noticing my pic. :-)

    Thanks Jaya! Mojar kotha holo ami nije chaler payesh khai na. :-)

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  15. Sharmila, aamader duty kormo kore jaawa...aar sheta aamra shoto complaints er poreo kore jaabo. Giving makes us happy, and if it doesnt in cases when the receiving is not generous and gracious enough, we can still give, but elsewhere!! :)
    The choice is always ours...btw, payesh khoob thick hoyechhe and theek eirokom tii aamar o khoob pochhondo! Thick naa hole aamar payesh bhalo laage naa. :)

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  16. eta ekta bodo coinidence..ami aaj chinta korlam chaler payesh korbo & dekhi tomar payesh er photo...aaj korte ee hobe..tomar payesh er foto eke baare fata fati..

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  17. Right Joyeeta ... elsewhere it will be. ;-) And thanks. :-)

    Thanks Sudipa! Kore felo aaj e. :-)

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  18. hey sharmila..just the other day I had to write an article for a website on some sweet dishes which have some bong connections...got some useful info from your blog..thanks

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  19. Aajke banalam tomar recipe theke .... khub bhalo hoyechhe ... creamy with a mild flavor of the bay leaf and cardamom

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  20. wow, for some reason your rant on common courtesy hit me hard...is it that as Bengalis we are more courteous? the reason I ask is I'm having the same trouble with EVERYONE...no thank you, no quick msg/txt back...I'm so disappointed with the people today...but one thing I noticed was that most of the Bengalis were gracious & courteous...though my hubby is non Bengali & I mix mostly with non-Bengalis...but this is what I noticed
    -bengali

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  21. You are welcome Gorky! :-)


    Thanks for letting me know Madhu. Glad you liked it. :-)


    Thanks for writing in Anon.

    No ... I would not put it that way ... that it is only Bengalis who are courteous ( I did forget to mention in my post that the friends who get stuff for me in return are all non-Bengalis ). And I must mention it here that the guy who I made the payesh for is a Bengali and I did not hear a 'thank you' from him too. :-)

    I guess it is all in an individual's nature ... how grateful s/he is and how interested s/he is in displaying it.
    At the end of the day ... I accept everybody with a little humour & a pinch of salt & pepper ... or whatever seasoning you prefer. ;-)

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