Eid Mubarak and Chaler Payesh/Rice Pudding/Kheer with flavours of Green Cardamom and Bay Leaves

Eid Mubarak to all my friends here, and, special mention for them who are celebrating this festival. And now I want to go back over to my childhood days. In our neighbourhood there were many Muslim families. And on this special festive occasion they would sent us so many goodies. It would come in a big thal/plate with so many assortments. There would be dry fruits and most important was the Special Sevaiyans. The thal would be covered with a big jharan/towel and handed over to my mother. In return the thal would not go back empty. Ma would fill a bowl with her special Semai Payesh or Chaler payesh which she made specially to go back to the neighbours home when they took back the plate.

We middle class Indians never divide ourselves on the line of religion. Having good neighbours and friends is all that matters…so no place for division on religious thoughts. But once politics plays a role, all these differences come up. But how much does this matter in the life of a common man who spends his days to earn a livelihood and live a peaceful life and enjoy what comes in the way.

As I sit and write this my recollections of the past just flash across my mind. My Semai Payesh has finished yesterday, so today I cooked some Chaler payesh and the twist is the strong flavour of the bay leaves/tej patta and choto elach/chotti elaichi/green cardamom. You can also follow these links of my Chaler Payesh and Nalen Gurer Payesh.

With two liters of milk, the first thing to do was to place the milk in a big cooking vessel on the burning stove and let it come to a boil.

In the meantime took about 4 tbsp of (gobindo bhog) rice, washed and kept it aside.

Then took a mortar and pestle and placed some green cardamom/elaichi and just broke the pods but did not powder it. And also took 4 bay leaves/tej patta and kept them together.

Cooking  the Payesh:

Once the milk started boiling kept on stirring for 5-6 minutes.

Then added the rice and let it cook for another 5 minutes.

Next added the cardamoms/elaichi with the pods broken and the tej patta/bay leaves and let it go on cooking.

(Continuous vigil has to be kept so that the milk did not come over the cooking vessel and spill).

And go on stirring from time-to-time and let it cook over low heat.

After 20-25 minutes the rice must have been cooked and the milk reduced to less than half.

Time to add sugar… sweetness as per individual taste.

With the milk being reduced to less than half, it has also taken a yellow touch and looks more like rabri payesh.

I love my Payesh this way and some of my friends call this dish “Rabri Payesh” a name that is so special for me and for whoever tastes it likes to know the trick of ‘The Making of this Payesh’.

Did you find any hidden trick…No Na…simple yet delicious…yes the trick was of the strong flavours of the spices-- cardamom and tej patta are the mischief mongers here.

Can try some and enjoy the taste, smell and the flavours on a festive day.

© gouri guha 2013