Pal Payasam in a Pressure Cooker
The perfect Pal Payasam is sweet, creamy and a delightful pink colour. Making it in a pressure cooker takes away the need to watch and stir constantly while it is cooking without compromising on texture, taste or looks.Just a note, the Sree Krishna Temple in Ambalapuzha (Kerala) is famous for its Pal Payasam and that is the magic I am trying to recreate.
Equipment
- Vessel (2 litre capacity)
- Ladle
- Pressure Cooker (5 litre Capacity)
Ingredients
- 1 litre Milk (Full fat milk preferred)
- 3/4 Cup Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Rice (See Notes)
- Water (For Pressure Cooking)
Instructions
- Wash 1/4 cup rice well under running water, drain all the water and set the rice aside.
- To a heavy-bottomed vessel of 2 litre (or more) capacity, add 1 litre milk and heat it till it is warm. I bring the milk to a boil but that it not necessary.
- Turn off the heat.
- Now add 3/4 cup sugar and mix well till the sugar dissolves completely.
- Add the washed and drained rice, and mix well.
- To a pressure cooker, add enough water to last 45 minutes of slow cooking. I added about 4 cups of water to my 5 litre pressure cooker.
- Place the vessel with the milk inside the pressure cooker and cover the vessel with a lid.
- Close the pressure cooker and cook over high heat for 5 minutes and on low heat for 45 to 60 minutes.While 45 minutes is sufficient, I found that cooking it for 60 minutes truly enhances the flavour and texture.If you cook on low heat (as I do), you may not hear any whistles (cooker releasing pressure) and that is perfectly OK.
- Turn off the heat and set the cooker aside without opening for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, open the cooker and gently mix the Pal Payasam.
- Serve the Pal Payasam war, at room temperature or chilled.
Notes
- In Kerala, they use broken Matta Rice or Red Rice to make the Pal Payasam. You can use any short-grained rice such as Sona Masuri or Surti Kolam.
- Pressure cook on low heat for best results.
- Use a large vessel that is only half-full when you add milk to it and always place a lid on the vessel. This prevents the milk from spilling into the pressure cooker, if there is a release of pressure.
- No dry fruits or flavouring (cardamom, saffron, etc.) are added to a traditional Pal Payasam.
Nutrition
Calories: 124 kcalCarbohydrates: 31 gProtein: 1 gFat: 0.1 gSaturated Fat: 0.02 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.01 gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.02 gCholesterol: 0.02 mgSodium: 1 mgPotassium: 10 mgFiber: 0.1 gSugar: 25 gVitamin A: 0.3 IUCalcium: 3 mgIron: 0.1 mg