Payasam
A creamy, comforting Indian rice pudding simmered with milk and sugar, perfumed with cardamom and finished with toasted nuts. This version is simple enough for a weeknight but special enough for a celebration.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 380
- Protein
- 9g
Ingredients
- ½ cup basmati rice
- 4 cups whole milk
- ½ cup sugar
- 4 whole cardamom pods
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- ¼ cup cashews
- 2 tablespoons raisins
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the 0.5 cup basmati rice in cold water until the water runs clear, then drain well.
- 2
In a heavy-bottomed pot, bring the 4 cups whole milk to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring often to prevent scorching.
- 3
Add the drained rice and 4 crushed cardamom pods to the milk. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and the mixture thickens slightly, about 25-30 minutes.
- 4
While the rice cooks, heat the 2 tbsp ghee in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the 0.25 cup cashews and 2 tbsp raisins, and toast until the cashews are golden and the raisins plump, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
- 5
Once the rice is soft, stir in the 0.5 cup sugar and the toasted nuts with ghee. Continue to simmer for 5 more minutes, until the sugar dissolves and the payasam is creamy but still pourable.
- 6
Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve warm or chilled, garnished with extra nuts if desired.
Tools you’ll need
- Heavy-bottomed pot
- Small skillet
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Wooden spoon
Cook smarter
Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge
Custrd is a free iOS app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations.
