Chawal Ki Kheer – Payasam – Riz au Lait

Believed to have originated in Orissa and along with kichadi, a key Ayurvedic recipe this rice pudding spread all over India. Known as kheer in the north and Payasam in the South this dish is traditionally prepared for festivals, Sraddha, and weddings where it is also an offering, Prasadam to honour the Gods, Puja. There are variations in ingredients, and while here I present the most common and traditional form I’m also offering some alternatives for constitutional balance, Dosa and variety.

I explored these recipes when a student was going through a rough chemotherapy treatment following extensive abdominal surgery and had lost too much weight for treatment to continue. She had also lost all appetite and desire to eat and could tolerate only very small quantities.  

I felt she needed something comforting and reassuring, nourishing, and grounding but easy to digest and appetizing and this is what I came up with. n Her inner thermostat was out of order and her gut sour and acidic, so she needed food to warm the body and heart and soothe the digestive tract. As soon as I mentioned rice pudding, she smiled.

This rice pudding is grounding for Vata and soothing for Pitta. It helps to improve appetite, to nourish the tissues and to maintain weight, strength and energy.  It will increase Kapha so I am suggesting and alternative so that Kapha can enjoy Kheer and not pay for it later.

Traditionally prepared for festivals, sraddha, and offered in temples accross India as prasadana for puja, it is known as Kheer in North India and Payasam in the South. The principle remains the same but there are a number of variations on the theme.

Ingredients:

600 ml of milk

24 threads of saffron

12 green cardamom pods

130 g of white basmati, short grain or broken rice

  50g of Jaggery or 3-4 tablespoons of unrefined sugar (eg. Rapadura )

  15 almonds, soaked the evening before, then peeled and sliced.

  2 dessert spoon of raisins

Method:

1.       Rinse the rice twice and then allow it to soak in cold water for about 20 minutes or more.

2.       In a thick based pot, over a medium heat, heat the milk and crushed cardamom pods gently and bring to a slow boil. Stir the milk to stop it sticking to the pot.

3.       Take a tablespoon of milk from the pot and put the saffron threads to infuse in it, set this aside for later.

4.       Skim out the green cardamom pods and then strain the rice and add to the hot milk allow it to simmer for 10-15 minutes stirring well.

5.       Add the unrefined sugar or jaggery and simmer for another 10 minutes, keep stirring to avoid the mixture sticking to the pot as the milk reduces and the rice thickens.  

6.       Add the sliced almonds, raisins and saffron milk and continue to simmer and stir until the rice reaches a thick creamy texture.

Kapha is increased by both rice and dairy milk. This recipe can be made with millet and oat milk using dry ginger and cinnamon to spice it up. Leave out the sugar and add a little honey after cooking and of course try to eat only a small amount.

It is possible to make Payasam with coconut milk and while this is pacifying for pitta due to its cooling properties it is also very high in saturated fat and provides little carbs or protein. It is a delicious treat however.