“Once upon a time in a small village, there lived a man with his mother. The man was very simple and was not much acquainted with worldly matters. With much effort his mother managed to arrange a suitable bride for him. The day came and it was time for the man to fetch his wife. So that the man did not fail to establish a good impression among the members of his Shoshur Bari (in-laws place), his mother kept no stone unturned. “And say no to everything you are offered in the beginning”. Before the man left for Shoshur Bari, this was the last instruction offered by his mother, as a part of the requisite list for creating appropriate impression among Shoshur Bari people. As a good son he followed his mother’s instructions word by word, and thus declined all the hospitality and delectable foods, he was entitled to as a Jamai Babu (son-in-law). But as fate would have it, one good and determined soul from Shoshur Bari, disregarding multiple resistance from Jamai Babu, forced him to taste just a drop of Chaler Payesh or Rice Kheer. The man or Jamai Babu loved the Kheer so much. He was not able to get over from the taste. But he could not ask for another serving also, as this could be dishonouring his mother’s requisite list of things that would help him to create good impression in Shoshur Bari. So, he made a plan. A plan that was genius enough to address his uncontrollable desire to taste just another ounce of rich, creamy and eternal Chaler Payesh, without risking his impression. He waited till dark when everyone was sleeping, and slowly he made his way to the kitchen. He started sniffing around looking for the vessel containing Chaler Payesh. Finally, he found the small Handi where very little payesh was left. With much delight he started licking the payesh. In the flow of excitement he did not realise that his whole head was inside the handi. Only after he satisfied his soul with the taste of Payesh, he realised he was unable to take out his head from the handi. With handi on his head he started moving around and made obvious noises that was loud enough to wake people from their sleep. Unable to recognise as the face was covered with handi and mistaking Jamai Babu with thief, the members of Shoshur Bari started beating him up…..”
Not sure what is the takeaway of the story and not sure who narrated this story to me when I was a child and for what purpose. For me the only take away from this story was the rich, creamy and divine, Chaler Payesh. I am not sure whether I heard the story multiple times or only once. But I did think about the story in my mind multiple times (only God knows why). And every time I think about the story, the only thing I can focus on is the Payesh. I can almost taste the Payesh from the story. Everytime whenever the story runs in my mind I place myself in all the situations where Jamai Babu is tasting Payesh, being it the drop forcibly offered by the Shoshur Bari member or licking the Handi.
Unlike me most of you might have different takeaway from the story. But one thing I am sure about is, like me everyone likes Chaler Payesh or Rice Kheer. Aromatic rice cooked in sugar and milk with hint of spices is so soul satisfying. Perhaps this is the reason Ayurveda recommended Kheer in the ‘Happy Food’ list. Possibly this is the reason why Lord Krishna instructed the king of Ambalappuzha to serve Payasam to his pilgrims. And this is the reason offering Kheer to deities became an important aspect of religious rituals.
Here is my take on Chaler Payesh or Rice Kheer.
Check out more dessert recipes. Click here.
Recipe: Chaler Payesh Or Rice Kheer
Preparation & Cooking Time: Around 45 minutes Equipment Used: Bowls, Saucepan, wok or pan, ladle and grinding stone to crush the cardamoms Yield: 3 small bowls or katoris
Ingredients:
- ½ litre milk
- 3 and ½ tablespoon Joha Rice (a unique variety of rice from Assam)
- ½ cup sugar
- 1/8 cup cashew (optional)
- ½ tablespoon raisins (optional)
- 1 teaspoon ghee or clarified butter (optional)
- 6 green cardamoms
- Chopped almond for garnishing
Method:
- Bring the milk to boil
- Reduce the flame to sim as soon as the milk is boiled. Let the milk condense and reduce by atleast 20%
- In the mean-time as the milk is getting condensed, rinse the rice and keep it ready. Pour the rice into the milk when the milk is condensed by 20%
- Cook the rice in the milk and add sugar when the rice is partially cooked
- Stir continuously and cook the kheer till the rice is properly cooked and you reach the desired consistency for your Rice Kheer or Chaler Payesh
- Switch off the flame and keep the kheer covered
- Now keep the cashews and raisins ready. Heat a pan or bowl that can be put directly on fire (optional)
- Heat ghee in the pan or bowl and fry the cashews and raisins in the ghee (optional)
- Pour the fried cashews and raisins along with ghee on top of the kheer (optional)
- Crush the green cardamoms and pour the seeds on the kheer
- Cover the kheer again so that the aroma of the cardamom spreads on the kheer. Relish the kheer after about half an hour
Boil the milk.
Condense the milk by atleast 20%.
Rinse and keep the rice ready.
Pour the rice into the milk when the milk is condensed by 20%.
Add sugar when the rice is partially cooked.
Stir continuously and cook the kheer till the rice is properly cooked and you reach the desired consistency.
Heat ghee in a pan or bowl .
Fry the cashews and raisins in the ghee.
Pour the fried cashews and raisins along with ghee on top of the kheer.
Crush the green cardamoms and pour the seeds on the kheer.
Keep the kheer covered.
Tips:
- In case Joha Rice is not available, you can replace the same with Basmati Rice
- While condensing milk place a ladle on the milk so that the milk does not spill from the pan
- As the milk is getting condensed, time to time scrape the side of the milk so that most part of the milk is not wasted
- Stir the dish continuously after adding sugar
- Ensure to keep the flame on sim while heating ghee and frying cashews and raisins, as ghee starts emitting smoke in no time
- Add elaichi or green cardamom at the end, so that the aroma of elaichi takes over the kheer
