Kerala Style Paal Payasam, Milk Kheer

          Today is the last post on the Onam Sadya recipes and I thought I'll end it with a sweet. Since I have already posted the Chakka Pradaman and Cherupayar Paruppu Pradaman, I decided on this Kerala Style Paal Payasam. This is similar to the Paal Payasam we make but the special Chemba Pachari ( Kerala Red Raw Rice ) gives a unique taste and beautiful color to this payasam/kheer. The first day, I had bought broken matta rice, then I realized that it's not the rice used for the payasam. Then again the second day, with some help from the store guy ( he's from Kerala ), my husband bought me the rice. I have adapted the recipe from here and the Paal Payasam came out really good. I used the pressure cooker to save some time, but still the dish takes anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour to be done, depending on the quantity. But, at the end, it's worth all the time and effort, it tastes absolutely delicious and before going to the recipe, Onam Ashamsakal! to all my friends and readers from Kerala..

Need To Have

• Chemba Pachari - 1/4 cup
• Whole Milk - 3 cups
• Water - 1/2 cup
• Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Green Cardamom - 3

Original recipe here

Method

          The Chemba Pachari that I had was not the broken variety, it was the whole rice, so I cooked it in the pressure cooker. Wash and pressure cook the rice with 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup water till done, the cooked rice should be soft to touch. Now mash the rice a little and take it in a heavy bottomed pan, I used the pressure pan.

          Add the remaining milk and bring it to a boil. Add the sugar and simmer it on low heat till the mixture thickens to the desired consistency. Finally mix in the cardamom ( powder the inner pods ) powder and remove.

A list of Onam Sadya Recipes..

Naranga Curry, Wild Lemon Pickle
Inji Puli
Beetroot Kichadi
Mathanga Erissery, Pumpkin Erissery
Cabbage Thoran
Olan, Stew With Ashgourd And Black Eyed Peas
Varutharacha Sambar
Kerala Style Tomato Rasam
Cherupayar Paruppu Pradaman, Moong Dal Payasam
Chakka Pradaman With Chakka Varatti

Note
If you don't have Chemba Pachari, you can use basmati rice, but the red raw rice gives the unique taste and the light pink color.
The time taken to pressure cook the rice was the same as required for cooking regular parboiled rice.
The consistency of the payasam is yours to decide, make it as thick or thin you want.