Pal Payasam (Rice Pudding)

My grandma is very famous in making this payasam in our family. She never uses condensed milk or milkmaid to make this. I strictly followed her recipe today.

Ingredients:-

1. Rice - 1 cup
2. Milk (fat free + 2%milk) - 6 cups
3. Sugar - 3 cups (acc to taste)
4. Pachakarpooram
5. Cardamom - a pinch

First wash the rice and put it in a pressure cooker. Add 3 cups milk and pressure cook it under medium flame upto 5 whistles. Make sure the rice is fully mashed. When the pressure is released, open it and add 2 more cups of milk and required amount of sugar, pachakarpooram, cardamom to it and stir it continuously till everything mixes well. It takes 10 mts to get a nice consistency and aroma from milk and sugar. Now add the remaining milk and stir it for another 5 mts. Serve it hot or cold.

My grandma never use cashews or any kind of garnishing for this payasam. The taste from the milk itself will be really good. Consistency is very easy - Pour a drop of payasam on your counter top and try to draw a line in the middle with your pointer finger. Now the milk will stand still on both sides leaving a line in the middle. This is the perfect consistency. Turn off the stove immediately when you get this consistency. If its too watery, then the milk will join - it means payasam is not ready.